Everyone Can Change
by superfreakerz
Summary: After the winter war with Aizen, Orihime tries to transition back into her old life, but after a couple of strange dreams, she realizes that her life will never be the way that it used to be, and her "normal" world has been flipped upside down. But who knows, she might like it more this way.
1. Chapter 1: Aftermath

**Author's Note: My name is Jules and this is my very first fanfic haha. Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of the characters!**

Chapter 1: Aftermath

Orihime woke up that morning feeling happy. It had been a week since the Winter War with Aizen and the arrancar ended, so things were finally going back to normal. During the past week, Orihime had gotten apologies from Rangiku, Rukia, and Captain Ukitake. Rangiku felt that since she was crashing at her place, she should've protected her better. Rukia had apologized for leaving her during their training session to go and fight. Captain Ukitake had apologized to Orihime for not escorting her himself. Orihime, being as kind as she is, simply told them it wasn't their fault and that she was okay, so they shouldn't worry. Was she okay though? The girl had been brought to another world under the orders of Aizen- the scariest man ever known. Also, she couldn't help but blame herself for everything that has happened. Ichigo and the others had been careful that past week, making sure not to remind her of anything to do with the war. They believed she would be traumatized by everything that happened to her.

All of the shinigami went back to Soul Society, except for Rukia. She decided to stay in the world of the living to help with the hollows that they didn't have a chance to kill, due to the war. She also wanted to stay and make sure Orihime was transitioning well into her old life.

Orihime got out of her warm bed to get dressed into her uniform. She missed the uniform and was excited to have her first day back to school today. As happy as she was, she was also nervous. She knew everybody, including her best friend, Tatsuki, would have many questions for her. Orihime wasn't sure if she was ready to answer Tatsuki, or what lie she was going to use for everybody else. Either way, she smiled and started making breakfast.

Since she was gone, everything she would need for an odd meal was expired, and she didn't go grocery shopping yet, so she had to eat a simple and plain bowl of cereal.

"I wish I had some wasabi to go with this. Maybe even some honey," she muttered under her breath.

After breakfast, she slipped on her shoes and headed for school.

"_This is going to be a long day," _she thought to herself.

* * *

When Orihime entered her classroom, she was quickly bombarded by her teacher and classmates.  
"Inoue-san, where have you been!? You missed a few lessons, but with your intelligence, you should be able to quickly make it up. Your grades haven't been affected at all either," said Orihime's teacher.

"Sorry! I was really sick haha…"

"Well I'm glad you are feeling better," said her teacher, walking away to her desk.

"Orihime."

Orihime turned to look at her best friend. Believe it or not, the two girls haven't seen each other during the week Orihime has been back. Orihime wanted to avoid the questions she would surely be asked for as long as she could. She wanted to tell her everything, but had always been scared that Tatsuke would start fearing her.

"Tatsuki… I-"

Before she knew it, Orihime was being hugged dearly by her best friend.

"I was so worried about you… I didn't know… when Ichigo and the others were going to bring you back…"

Orihime's eyes widened as she went to look her friend in the face. Tatsuki could tell she was surprised by her knowledge of everything that that was happening.

"Yeah, I know everything," Tatsuki said, smiling kindly at Orihime.

At this point, both of the girls' eyes were slightly tearing up and they were now laughing.

The bell rang and everybody was sitting in their seats waiting for their teacher to begin the lesson. Orihime tried very hard to listen to what the teacher was saying, but found herself unable to stop spacing out. She stared out the window, watching the clouds move.

"ORIHIMEEEE!"

Orihime turned around and was suddenly grabbed by her loud friend.

"Ch-Chizuru-chan," Orihime said, surprised as always by the loud girl.

Ichigo and the others watched as Chizuru took Orihime to go eat lunch with the other girls in their group.

"Do you think she's alright?" Rukia asked, keeping her eyes on Orihime. She still felt guilty over the girl's kidnapping.

"I'm sure she'll be fine now that she's back," Ichigo replied, also watching the orange-haired girl as she ate.

"I hope you're right…"

* * *

School was over and Orihime walked home with Tatsuki. She had promised to tell the girl everything from when she was gone. Tatsuki already knew that Aizen ordered her to be brought to him since Urahara told Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro the night they followed Ichigo. She wanted more details to the story though.

The girls had finally settled themselves in Orihime's house.

"Alright, this is going to be a long story," Orihime said, nervously playing with the hem of her skirt.

"I'm ready to listen." Tatsuki replied, noticing her friend's nervousness.

The girl was determined to hear her friend's story, and Orihime was ready to finally tell her best friend the whole story, including the moments she spent with the green eyed espada.

**Author's Note: Well, there is the first chapter! I have like 16 chapters done already, but was too scared to post them until now. :3 I hope you guys enjoy this! If anybody actually reads this, I shall start out updating every Friday! I already have 10 chapters typed and ready to go, but I think I should pace myself! :) Anyways, please review! Or don't, it's fine; I don't even understand what a review is yet- I'm new to this, okay!?**


	2. Chapter 2: The Dream

**Author's Note: Oh man, I am so new to this it took me a while to figure out how to update this story and add a new chapter! Anyways, here is chapter 2! Enjoy!**

Chapter 2: The Dream

Orihime told her friend everything. She told her about the ten espada, Aizen, Ichimaru, Tozen, Las Nochez, and much more. She felt there was nothing that her best friend did not know about her experiences in Hueco Mundo.

Tatsuki had listened to each word that came out of Orihime's mouth. She stared at her friend with pitying eyes. Her friend has seen so much bloodshed; it was hard to believe she was still normal. Then, her memories were triggered. The day she was attacked by two odd-looking men was finally coming back to her.

"Wait… that day at the park… was that real?" Tatsuki asked, trying to figure out if it was reality or a dream.

"You remember?" Orihime asked with wide eyes, "Well yes, it was real… Those two were espada."

"I remember now. You and Sado saved me."

"Well it was really Ichigo haha… I was of no help…"

Tatsuki saw the pain in Orihime's face as she said that.

"Wait a second…" Tatsuki said, "Were one of those guys the one that kidnapped you?"

Orihime's eyes widened at the question.

"Yes. The one with the green eyes," she replied.

"Hmph, that jackass! It's a good thing Ichigo killed him, or else I would've had to do it myself!" said Tatsuki, slamming her fist into the palm of her hand.

"Haha…"

Orihime laughed with her friend, but felt bad. She did not hate the green-eyed espada, and most certainly did not wish death upon him- or any of the espada for that matter. To be honest, she felt sad at the espada's last moments of life. The way he reached out to her made her feel as if they would have become friends if he lived. Orihime then let out a sigh.

"_What a crazy thing to imagine," _she thought to herself.

Once Tatsuki left, Orihime started to clean up. First, she washed the dishes, scrubbing each dish for a long time, due to her constantly spacing out. Next was the pile of clothes she had stacked in the house. She started to fold and hang up the mountain of clothes. While she was folding, she caught a glimpse of a white cloth. The white cloth was none other than the dress she was forced to wear in Hueco Mundo. Orihime looked at the dress completely shocked. She had recalled the first night she got back from being kidnapped.

* * *

_FLASHBACK_

Rukia was worried about Orihime so she decided to stay over. Orihime took the dress off and set it on the couch to get into pajamas.

"That dress looks very uncomfortable." Rukia said. She was wearing one of Yuzu's nightgowns again. Orihime smiled at her.

"It actually wasn't," Orihime replied, "it is very smooth! It was also very pretty, before it got dirty and covered in blood…"

Rukia saw the slight moment of distress on Orihime's face.

"Well, now you should throw it away." Rukia said, walking towards the gown to throw it in the trash.

"What!?" Orihime asked, running to stop her, "Why!?"

"Because it will just be a reminder of what has happened to you during the past few weeks. You should try and move on."

"You are right…"

Rukia then picked up the once-beautiful gown and tossed it in the trash.

_END OF FLASHBACK_

* * *

"What is this doing here!?" Orihime asked, shocked at how it was back in her pile of clothes.

"_I remember Kuchiki-san throwing it away," _she thought.

Orihime eyed the dress curiously. It was still torn, covered in dirt and blood.

"_I wonder…" _

Orihime started to use her powers to revive the dress.

"_It's working!" _she thought to herself, seeing the fabrics become fixed.

After a few minutes, the dress was back to its normal state. Orihime put a hand on her hairclip, thanking her powers.

She stared at the dress, wondering what to do next, now that she fixed it. She then found herself putting on the dress, even though it was late and almost time for her to go to bed.

The dress surprisingly felt… right. Orihime danced around her house, happy the dress was back. She twirled, jumped, and slid around the house, until she got tired and decided to go to bed.

* * *

Orihime was passed out on the couch, still wearing the dress. The dream she was having started out very calm. She was staring at the beautiful moon through a window. The window had bars on it and was high up. Orihime closed her eyes, enjoying the peace, but when she opened them again, she was on top of Las Nochez's ceiling.

"Huh!?" she cried out, "Kurosaki-kun! Ishida-kun!"

She remembered this place and everything that happened here, so she was surprised that Ichigo and Uryu weren't there with her.

"Ul-Ulquiorra-kun?" she called out, thinking that he might be there.

"Onna."

Orihime quickly turned around at the sound of his monotone voice.

"Ulquiorra…"

What was going on? Why was he here and not Ichigo?

"What do you want, onna?"

"Huh? I uh-"

"Are you afraid?" Ulquiorra asked, walking towards her.

"What?"

Suddenly, Orihime was watching Ulquiorra and Ichigo's fight.

"What's going on?" she asked, insanely confused.

The two boys kept clashing swords, while Orihime watched.

"Stop…"

They didn't stop.

"Please… stop…"

There was no stop to the fighting.

"STOP!"

Suddenly, Orihime was back in her room where she was held captive. She realized she had tears swelling up in her eyes due to watching Ichigo and Ulquiorra fight again.

Orihime woke up the next morning, still wearing the dress, and tears on her cheeks from her dream.

**Author's Note: Weird chapter, I know. Anyways, I now know what a review is thanks to ulquihime7980 haha. Thank you for the kind words! :) I recommend reading some of their stories! Also, every Friday just seems kinda slow, so now it will be every Wednesday and Friday! **


	3. Chapter 3: Dream a Little Dream of Me

**Author's Note: Wow, this day has been stressful. GirlAkatsuki, you are so kind! Thank you, (I must check out your art!) and Ulquiorra comes in soon, don't worry. ;)Anyways, here is chapter 3!**

Chapter 3: Dream a Little Dream of Me

Orihime got dressed in her uniform to go to school.

"_That dream was so weird,"_ she thought, putting a hand on her cheek to make sure all of the tears had left her face.

She looked at herself in the mirror and examined her face to be sure her eyes were not puffy and red from crying. She brushed her long, orange hair and left for school.

Orihime had perfected her fake smile when she was little, so it should be easy to hide her stress. Ichigo and the others, however, managed to see right through it. During lunch, they asked Orihime to sit on the roof and eat with them instead of Tatsuki and the others. When they got to the roof, they all sat in a circle, while Orihime immediately dug into her "meal." They all watched her, wondering what to say. They didn't want to upset her, but they felt the need to know what was bothering her, especially since it could involve the war that just ended. Finally, somebody spoke.

"Inoue," it was Rukia, "are you okay?"

"Hmm?" Orihime replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you seem a bit… off."

Orihime stared at all of them, quickly realizing that was why they brought her up to the roof to eat with them. Ichigo, Uryu, and Sado stared at their food awkwardly, while Rukia was staring back at her, waiting for a reply.

"Hahaha! I'm fine! There is no need to worry!" she said, standing up now.

"Inoue-san," Uryu said, now getting in the conversation, "your spiritual pressure spiked last night… what happened?"

Orihime's eyes widened. She found herself unable to lie to her friends, and that made her uncomfortable. She didn't want to tell them about her dream.

_"It's just a dream; I shouldn't worry them over a dream. They just hurt themselves in a war because of me; I can't stress them out over myself. Not anymore."_

"I hit my head making dinner last night, maybe that's what caused it to spike!" Orihime said, smiling at her friends, "Well, I'll be going now."

Once the orange-haired girl left, Ichigo finally spoke up, "Are you sure you saw her wearing it?" he asked.

"Positive. When I got to her house, she was passed out on the couch wearing the dress from Hueco Mundo." Ishida replied.

"That's not possible!" Rukia cried out. "I threw the dress away the night we got back!"

"Hmph. This is getting confusing. Ishida! Was there anything else you saw?" Ichigo asked.

"Well," the boy with the glasses said, lowering his head, "I saw she was having a nightmare, and then… she yelled 'stop' as if somebody was doing something to her."

"We should just let her be." Sado said, getting up. "It was just a dream, and knowing Inoue, she won't tell us about it, probably because she doesn't want us to worry."

"But that doesn't explain the dress," Rukia said.

"She could've gotten it once you left. Either way, she'll probably go back to normal soon. It's only been eight days. She is bound to have nightmares about the war, given her personality and the role she played," Sado replied.

They all agreed and went back to class.

* * *

Orihime was trying hard to pay attention, but once again found it impossible. She was too hung up on her dream.

"_Why am I so hung up on this dream? It was just a dream, Orihime, snap out of it!"_

But she couldn't. There was something about the dream that utterly confused her. That was, the fact that Ulquiorra was the main person in it.

"_Why was it Ulquiorra came first, instead of Kurosaki-kun?"_

Orihime had been in love with Ichigo for the longest time. It would make sense if he was the main person in her dream, for she had many dreams about him. But, Ulquiorra? It wasn't normal. They had only known each other for a short time, and most of that time, Ulquiorra resented her. So why? Why did she feel comfortable around him in her dream? Why was he the one that showed up first?

Suddenly, a piece of chalk hit Orihime's head, causing her to remember she was in class.

"Inoue-san," her teacher, also the chalk-thrower, said, "are your daydreams more important than my lessons?"

"Huh? Oh, no! Sorry! It won't happen again!" Orihime replied, smiling awkwardly.

Everybody in the class laughed, besides Ichigo and the others.

Orihime got home and let out a well-deserved sigh. That day had been stressful for her. She spent the time she had when she got back cleaning and doing other chores she forgot to do yesterday.

"_Alright, I'm going to go to sleep and have a peaceful dream now… hopefully…"_

But her dream still was not peaceful. It started out with her inside of the room she was held captive, again. This time, though, her dream did not randomly send her places.

"…Ulquiorra?" she asked once she heard her door being opened.

Once she saw who it was, she wished it was Ulquiorra, for the person who entered her room was none other than the person who ordered her to be brought in the first place: Aizen.

"No, sorry, it's just me," he said, smiling. "Although, you sound as if you _wanted_ it to be him… how interesting. Why would you wish to see him? He kidnapped you and treated you terribly."

Aizen grabbed her chin and smirked at her. Her heart was racing. She was terrified.

"H-he kidnapped me… because they were your orders…." Orihime said, barely audible.

Aizen laughed. He laughed so loud, it scared Orihime. Then, he vanished.

"Huh?" Orihime said, looking around. "What happened? Ulquiorra, are you there?"

She heard footsteps. Finally, the man she called out for appeared.

"Onna," Ulquiorra said, looking at her chest, right where her heart is located.

"I'm not afraid," Orihime suddenly said.

Ulquiorra stared at her with widened eyes.

"I forgot to answer your question last time, so I'm doing it now," she said with a gentle smile.

Ulquiorra stared at her for a long time, making her blush. He felt the area around his hollow hole get… warm. He was confused and questioned this feeling. By now, Orihime was staring at her feet, her hands fidgeting and her face extremely red because of Ulquiorra staring at her.

"I see…" Ulquiorra finally said, closing his eyes and turning around, letting Orihime look back up.

Awkward silence fell upon them as they stood in her room, not knowing what to say.

"So…" Orihime said, trying to break the ice, "how are you?"

"I find no need to answer such a useless question, onna."

Orihime sighed as the room got quiet once again. She looked at her feet, sad that she couldn't get him to open up. Ulquiorra had noticed the difference in her attitude and tried to change it back. Why, though? Why should Ulquiorra, one of the coldest espada, care about a human girl's feelings? He sighed.

"I have been confused lately, to answer your question," he finally said.

"Hmm?" Orihime replied. "About what?"

"Well…" he started, looking back into her eyes, but then looking away, the warm feeling coming back into the areas around his hollow hole.

Finally, he replied with a "never mind" and the dream went on for a few more minutes in dead silence until Orihime's alarm clock woke her up for school.

While Orihime brushed her teeth, she thought about her dream.

"_What did he want to tell me?"_ she thought, now walking to school. "_What do these dreams mean, anyways!? Why is Ulquiorra even confused? He's already dea-"_

_ "_Orihime!"

It was Tatsuki.

Orihime stopped and waited for her friend to catch up. They then walked to school together. Orihime tried to listen to her best friend's stories, but couldn't stop thinking about a certain deceased, green- eyed espada.

"Orihime, you there?" Tatsuki asked, waving a hand in front of the orange haired girl.

The girls were already at school, and Orihime was too lost in thought to even notice. Tatsuki sighed and went to her seat. There was nothing she could do whenever Orihime spaced out like this.

Orihime sat at her own seat, wishing she were home so she could see him again, but this time find out why he was confused.

_"Even if they're only dreams, I have to figure out what's happening in them!"_

Thus, she waited for the next dream about Hueco Mundo that never came.

**Author's Note: I am excited for the next chapter! Stick around! :)**


	4. Chapter 4: The Awakening

**Author's Note: I really hate it when people don't update their stories for a really long time without telling their readers first! Anyways, here is chapter 4! Enjoy!**

Chapter 4: The Awakening

It was raining; the skies were dark and cloudy. Trees were the only protection from getting wet. It was such a gloomy and wet day that kids weren't at the park. That was probably for the best though, since a mysterious person slept there, under a tree. When the person got up, their eyes widened in disbelief. Walking around, being practically a stranger to Karakura Town, the person seemed to be looking for something. The stranger found a little bakery and took shelter inside.

"How may I help you?" asked the cute waitress, smiling.

The stranger simply stared at her, obviously not wanting anything to do with her. The waitress got the hint, awkwardly laughed, and walked away.

The stranger sat in a booth, wondering what was going on, and what to do. They sat in the booth, utterly confused. For hours, the stranger sat quietly, until the waitress addressed him again.

"Umm, are you a tourist?" she asked.

"No," the person replied, not bothering to look her in the face.

"Oh… you seem lost…"

The stranger thought about this before replying, "Yes."

"Hmm? Well what are you looking for?"

The woman was pesky, and this person hated pesky people, but they had nobody else to ask for help.

"The school."

"Which one? The high school?"

The stranger nodded.

"Wait right here," the waitress said, "I'll go write down the directions!"

"_At least she is somewhat useful…"_

When the waitress came back and gave the stranger the directions, he left.

The high school finally came into view and the man staggered to the door.

"_Where is everybody?"_

"Excuse me, but what are you doing here? It's Sunday, school is obviously closed."

The man appeared to be the principal. He was short and fat, had glasses, and had a brown suit on.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Fine," the stranger said, walking away.

The man dressed in white walked the streets of Karakura Town, irritated that no matter what he tried, he wasn't able to find what he was looking for.

"_This is idiotic."_

The stranger refused to give up on his search, though it seemed impossible to find what he was looking for.

"_I better have enough strength to at least do this."_

The stranger stood on the side walk firmly and began looking for spiritual pressure. They had recognized nearly all of them, but with hatred. The stranger had no need for the people he sensed, except for one.

"_There it is."_

The stranger fell to the ground, unable to stand since they used a bit of power.

"_How pathetic and weak."_

Barely able to get back up, they continued to walk, now knowing where they were going. Their clothes were soaked and the stranger felt sick. They had never witnessed a fever before and it was now taking its toll on them.

Finally, he spotted its location. It was a nice neighborhood. Usually, an old lady would be sweeping her porch and the sidewalk, but since it was raining, she stayed inside. Kids would also be outside, if it weren't for the downpour of rain, playing. The stranger did not care for them, though. He only cared for a certain person who lived in one of the apartments on the left side of the street.

The stranger desperately limped across the street.

"_I'm finally here."_

As he was nearing the apartments, a beautiful, young girl came out, carrying a pink umbrella with bunny ears. The silly looking umbrella protected the beautiful girl's orange hair from becoming soaked.

As the girl turned around to close and lock the door to the apartment, she saw the stranger staring at her. Although the black-haired man was practically a stranger to this town, he was no stranger to Inoue, Orihime.

Orihime stared into the black-haired man's beautiful green eyes, for it was none other than her previous captor: Ulquiorra.

**Author's Note: It's a short chapter, I know! But hey, at least Orihime and Ulquiorra are reunited! This chapter was only 655 words- without the author's note. Maybe I should update again today since it was so short! :D Anyways, please review! It makes me feel good haha. **


	5. Chapter 5: We Meet Again

**Author's Note: Updated again today because chapter 4 was really short! Enjoy!**

Chapter 5: We Meet Again

"Ul-Ulquiorra…" Orihime said with wide eyes. "What are… how…?"

"Onna," Ulquiorra said, before he collapsed.

He had used too much of his powers and his fever was finally kicking in. Orihime ran to him and propped him up on her back. She then carried him into her apartment, forgetting her pink umbrella on the side-walk.

"_I guess groceries will have to wait,"_ she thought.

"What am I supposed to do?" she asked herself out loud. "I'll call Urahara… but first I should help him."

She felt Ulquiorra's forehead.

"A fever…"

Orihime went to the bathroom and got towels to soak them in hot water. She then went back to the living room and placed a towel on Ulquiorra's head.

"Fevers are the worst," she said, even though Ulquiorra couldn't hear her, "my brother, Sora, always took care of me when I had a fever. Now I have to take care of myself… Oh, this towel is cold now, here is this one."

She found herself blushing while she pushed his hair off of his forehead to place another towel on his head.

"Funny, it's like the roles are reversed. You used to take care of me, and now I am taking care of you."

She put a blanket on top of him and smiled.

"_I guess I should call Urahara-san now."_

* * *

Ulquiorra woke up to two familiar faces: Yoruichi and Urahara. He was annoyed to see them watching him, and wanted nothing more than to fire a cero at them.

"Kisuke, he's awake," Yoruichi said.

"Yes… well hello Espada-san," Urahara said, smiling at him. "From what I heard, you are the fourth ranked espada, the one that kidnapped Inoue-san and was killed by Kurosaki-kun."

Ulquiorra sat up and looked for Orihim

"_Did she call these idiots to get rid of me?" _he wondered.

"Oh! Ulquiorra! You're awake!"

It was Orihime. He felt better having her around.

"Onna, what are these pieces of trash doing here?" he asked, not noticing Yoruichi's deadly glare and Urahara's awkward chuckle.

"She called us because she was wondering how you could be alive. So tell us, how are you alive and… different looking?" Yoruichi asked.

Ulquiorra was mostly the same. He still had black hair, beautiful green eyes, a hollow hole, tear marks, and his uniform. The only thing missing was his mask. He looked at Orihime, seeing if he should answer them. She smiled gently at him and nodded.

Ulquiorra sighed, closing his eyes, and said, "I do not know how I am alive now. I came to ask the onna."

He glanced at Orihime, who was slightly blushing.

"Interesting…" Urahara said, "Do you have any more details and information?"

"I was having dreams, and then I woke up in some place with some weird, colorful things and swings without my mask and it was raining."

"Weird, colorful things…" Yoruichi said, "Wait, do you mean a park?"

Ulquiorra glared at her for making him feel dumb about not knowing what a park was.

"Espada-san," Urahara said, "can you tell us more about your dreams?"

Ulquiorra looked back at Orihime and said, "I was in Hueco Mundo with the onna. She was calling my name out, so I came to her."

Orihime's eyes widened and everyone could see she was thinking hard about something.

"Inoue-san…?" Urahara asked.

"…I had the same dream…" she replied, staring into Ulquiorra's vibrant eyes.

Now everyone's eyes were wide, wondering what the dreams meant and how he was brought to life.

Just then, Orihime's door slammed open. Uryu, Ichigo, Sado, and Rukia burst into the room. Their eyes fell on Ulquiorra.

"It's true…" Uryu said, his eyes widening.

"Damn you…" Ichigo said, ready to attack Ulquiorra, "how are you alive!? Are you here to kidnap Inoue again!? I won't let you!"

Ichigo started to pull his sword out.

"Ichigo, wait!" Yoruichi cried out.

But it was too late. Ichigo lunged towards Ulquiorra, his spiritual pressure spiking. He was too fast for Ulquiorra to dodge since his powers were now limited. Urahara and Yoruichi didn't have enough time to stop Ichigo, while Rukia and the others had no intentions of stopping him. The only thing that could protect Ulquiorra was a bright, orange shield. Ichigo slashed at the shield, causing it to break, and looked at Orihime.

She stood there, looking at the floor. Everyone's eyes were now on her, surprised. Not only did she protect Ulquiorra, but was crying as well.

"Inoue…" Ichigo said, staring in shock.

"…Please… no more fighting… please… stop…" she managed to say between sobs.

Everyone put their weapons away. It was a crying Orihime asking them to stop, how could they refuse?

Orihime stood, crying and being comforted by Rukia, while Ichigo turned back to Ulquiorra and said, "Explain, now."

Ulquiorra simply looked at Urahara, silently telling him to explain it to him.

Orihime, now having a serious case of the hiccups due to crying, went and sat on the couch by Ulquiorra, feeling everyone's eyes on the two of them.

"So you two had a dream, and you woke up alive?" Uryu asked Ulquiorra.

"Yes, now stop talking to me, trash."

Uryu would've killed him if it wasn't for Orihime sending him a pleading look.

"Well, I have no ideas as to why or how any of this happened, but we have much bigger issues," Urahara said, sighing and tilting his hat down to cover his eyes.

"Hmm?" Everyone asked, except for Yoruichi, for she also knew of the problem.

"Soul Society isn't going to be pleased with an espada showing up right after the war." Yoruichi reminded them.

"Oh… You're right…" Orihime said, free of the hiccups.

Ulquiorra didn't care about any of this. He just wanted to sleep.

Just then, Byakuya, Renji, Toshiro, Rangiku, and Ikkaku arrived.

"All of you are ordered to come to Soul Society right away," Toshiro said.

Byakuya glanced at Ulquiorra before saying, "Do not resist or we will be forced to kill you."

Rangiku then opened a door into Soul Society. All of them were forced in, and Ulquiorra had to wear hand cuffs that get rid of one's powers while they wear them. They were dragged into the Head Captain's meeting area, meeting the rest of the captains.

"All of you," the Head Captain said, "explain what this espada was doing."

"Sir, he was brought back to life and we were trying to figure out how and why," Urahara explained.

"Brought back to life? Impossible," Kurosutchi said.

Yamamoto looked at Orihime, who was nervously looking around.

"Inoue, Orihime," he said. "Step forward."

"Yes…" she replied, moving next to Urahara and Yoruichi.

"Please explain."

"Yes…"

She told everyone about their dreams and their eyes widened. She was getting used to this reaction.

"I see…" Yamamoto finally said. "We cannot let the espada live. He shall be executed tomorrow."

Orihime's eyes widened in shock.

"No! Please! You can't kill him!" she cried out.

Yamamoto eyed her curiously.

"Inoue, Orihime. Why do you wish we spare his life? He is the one who kidnapped you, tortured you, and tried to kill your comrades. Is it pity?" he asked.

"No. It is not pity."

"Then why?"

Orihime thought about his. Why did she want to help him? Everything Yamamoto said was right, so why? Finally, she said, "Because people can change."

She then smiled, faced Ulquiorra, and said, "I'm not afraid that he'll do anything bad."

"Even if you feel that way-"

"C'mon old man," Kyoraku said, "if she forgives him, just let him prove himself. Besides, their story is interesting. We should keep him alive with her to find out more about his life being brought back."

"I could experiment on him!" Kurosutchi said, grinning ear to ear.

"He has to be with Orihime-chan."

"I can experiment on her as well!"

"Enough," the Head Captain said. "Fine, I shall allow the espada to live. He must live in the world of the living with Inoue, Orihime guiding him. He must also report to us every month. Is that alright with you, Inoue, Orihime?"

"Yes!" Orihime said, smiling brightly and jumping up and down.

"Alright, it is decided. Ulquiorra Schiffer shall live with Inoue, Orihime guiding him."

**Author's Note: I hope this isn't all happening too fast. Btw, your reviews are amazing you guys, I love them. :) You are all so kind! Now I'm gonna go start writing the 19th chapter! **


	6. Chapter 6: The World of the Living

**Author's Note: One of you guys called me professional! :D So sweet! Anyways, here is chapter 6! Enjoy!**

Chapter 6: The World of the Living

Ulquiorra was released from his hand cuffs and given a bag full of money by Captain Ukitake. Orihime went to go stand by him.

"Wow!" Orihime cried out. "That's a lot of money!"

"Yes," Ukitake said, smiling at her gently, "it is for his living expenses. You'll have to find him a house. He'll also need a job eventually, when the money runs out."

"Hmph," Ulquiorra muttered. He did not want to live in the world of the living, but was forced to by people he considered trash. It frustrated him.

Once they exited the Head Captain's meeting area, they saw Rangiku waiting for them.

"Rangiku-san!" Orihime said, smiling.

"ORIHIME!" Rangiku let out, hugging the girl.

Ulquiorra glared at Rangiku. For some reason, he didn't like Rangiku holding onto Orihime like that.

"I heard you were going to guide the espada in the world of the living!" Rangiku said.

"Yes! I am going to help him find a house!" Orihime replied.

"Onna, end this ridiculous conversation, we have much to do," Ulquiorra said, obviously irritated.

Rangiku figured he was saying this out of jealousy, so an evil idea popped up into her mind.

"Orihime," she said, "what progress are you making in your love life with you-know-who?"

Orihime was wondering why Rangiku would ask that, especially with Ichigo right next to them, but decided to play along, thinking it was important to her.

"Uh, none really," she replied.

"What!?" Rangiku said, throwing her arms up in the air. "You've had to at least make a little progress!"

Ichigo, Rukia, Sado, and Uryu stood, confused and curious. They were dense, but Uryu and Sado knew that Orihime cared very much for Ichigo, but shrugged it off as friendship or thought she saw him as a big brother. The four wondered who could have possibly stolen the sweet girl's heart. Ulquiorra finally intervened and grabbed Orihime's arm, pulling her away. He was more irritated than before.

"_I knew it,"_ Rangiku thought.

"Bye, Rangiku-san!" Orihime cried out while being dragged by Ulquiorra.

"Bye, Orihime-chan! Keep working on your love life! I'm sure he'll come around! You two would look so cute!" Rangiku cried out to her.

Ulquiorra sent her a death glare. He was well aware of Orihime's feelings towards Ichigo and did not need Rangiku to remind him of it. Why did he care, though?

* * *

Once they got back to the world of the living, they went to Urahara's shop.

"So… what now?" Rukia asked, eyeing Orihime and Ulquiorra curiously.

"Umm, I guess we have to find you a house!" Orihime said, smiling at Ulquiorra.

"Whatever," Ulquiorra said.

"Well, it's already late; you aren't going to find anything today. Try tomorrow. For tonight, you can sleep here, Espada-san," Urahara told Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra looked at Orihime. She got the hint and quietly said, "Umm… I think Ulquiorra should stay with me…"

"WHAT!?" everyone yelled, shocked that the innocent Orihime offered to spend the night with some guy.

"Well, he came to see me and… he probably has a lot of questions about this world and since I'm his guide, I should answer them! Besides… I don't think he knows you that well…"

"I know them. I just deem them as trash," Ulquiorra said.

"Oh, so Inoue-san isn't trash to you?" Urahara asked, smiling at him.

Ulquiorra thought about this. He used to think she was trash, but now she was… different. Ever since his dying moment on the roof, he saw her as anything but trash. She was like a princess now.

"No, the onna is not trash," he suddenly replied. "Come, onna. You have school tomorrow."

"Speaking of which!" Urahara said, surprising everybody. "Espada-san, you will also be attending school tomorrow! Yoruichi and I will have you in the same class as Inoue-san and the others. I'll bring your uniform tomorrow."

"He's going to be at our school!?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes, trash, I will. Learn to listen better." Ulquiorra answered.

"Umm… Let's go Ulquiorra… Bye everyone!" Orihime said, waving goodbye.

"Fine."

The two turned and walked home. Orihime found her pink umbrella still outside and carried it in with her.

"Ta-da! This is my home! Here is the couch; that is where you'll sleep tonight!" Orihime said happily.

"Onna, why are you comfortable around me?" Ulquiorra suddenly asked.

"Huh?"

"I kidnapped you, harmed your friends, and tortured you. I even threatened to force feed you. So why do you act so close?"

"Hmm… I guess it's because I'm just not afraid. I believe people can change."

Ulquiorra's eyes widened and he said, "I'm not human, though."

"I know."

"Nor am I a shinigami."

"I know."

Ulquiorra eyed her, wondering what was going through her head.

"Well, Ulquiorra, are you hungry? I can make us some ice cream with tomatoes and pickles on top if you want!" Orihime suddenly asked, changing the subject.

"I'd rather not."

"Hmm… fine. You're missing out though! Here," she said, handing him a towel, "you can go take a shower!"

"If you want me to, then fine."

Once Ulquiorra was done showering, he wrapped the towel around himself and went downstairs. Orihime was cooking when she saw him, almost naked. His abs were completely exposed and she couldn't help but stare. She started to blush.

"Umm… why are you only wearing a towel!?" she asked in a high pitched voice.

"I don't have another change of clothes," he answered. "Onna, why are you so flustered all of the sudden?"

"I'm not flustered! It's just… you're only wearing a towel… Wait here! I'll bring you some of Sora's old clothes!"

_"Is Sora her old roommate?"_

When she came back with Sora's old clothes, Ulquiorra went back into the bathroom to get dressed. When he finished, he sat down on her couch.

"_It is surprisingly comfortable."_

"The clothes fit! That's good!" Orihime exclaimed.

"Are these clothes your old roommate's, onna?" he asked.

"No, they were my brother's."

"Did he move away? Why do you still have these clothes?"

"No, he died. I kept them because it didn't feel right throwing his clothes away…"

"…I see…"

He could see the look of pain spread on her face. He felt bad making her talk about it. Why did her care, though? He is Ulquiorra Cifer, the fourth ranked espada. He had no feelings. So why did he care whether or not she was sad?

"Are you excited about tomorrow?" she asked, once again changing the subject.

"For what, onna?"

"Your first day of school! And getting a house!"

"I have no emotions. I see no reason to be excited."

Orihime sighed and said, "Yes you do, Ulquiorra. You just don't understand them yet. But you should be excited for school! It'll be really fun! I'll introduce you to my friends! Doesn't that sound fun to you?"

Ulquiorra closed his eyes and sighed.

"I see no entertainment in sitting in the same room, listening to some trash who thinks they are better than me talk. Also, I most certainly wish not to meet your friends."

"But Ulquiorra, that's all you did in Hueco Mundo. And sure, my friends can be a bit upbeat, but they're amazing! Well, we should go to bed. Goodnight, Ulquiorra!"

Orihime smiled at him and went to her room to sleep. Ulquiorra was laying on Orihime's couch, lost in thought. He wondered what school is like, if the onna was liked at school, how her grades were, and much more. He should have gone to bed, though, because tomorrow was most certainly going to be an exhausting day.

**Author's Note: This chapter was kind of useless to me haha. Sorry about that! Please leave a review! You don't have to, it just makes me feel good! Also, in one of the upcoming chapters, Orihime and Ulquiorra meet somebody new, and I need a name for him because I can't think of anything! You guys should send me some names! :)**


	7. Chapter 7: School

**Author's Note: Your reviews are amazing, and I love it when you guys send me some ideas! Here is chapter 7. Enjoy!**

Chapter 7: School

"Onna, are you ready yet?" Ulquiorra asked, standing outside her room.

He was wearing his uniform that luckily covered his hollow hole, and held his brown bag over his shoulder.

"Just a second!" Orihime replied, brushing her beautiful, long hair.

"No. We will be late. Hurry or I will be forced to drag you to school."

"Alright, I'm done," she replied walking out of her room. "Are you excited yet?"

"No," he lied. He did feel some sort of interesting feeling inside of him.

As they walked to school, Orihime told Ulquiorra many stories. Stories of her school, her friends, or just some completely random topics.

"_She talks a lot."_ Ulquiorra thought to himself. He didn't mind as much as he used to back in Las Nochez. Now, he was somewhat interested in these stories, no matter how long and random they were.

They got to their classroom before everybody else- much to Ulquiorra's surprise. The teacher was waiting for them.

"Hello, Inoue-san! Is this the new transfer student?" Orihime's teacher asked.

"Yes! This is Ulquiorra Cifer!" she replied.

Her teacher looked at Ulquiorra and said, "Interesting name… and tattoos… So what's your story, Cifer-kun?"

Ulquiorra looked at Orihime for answers.

"Umm…" Orihime said, thinking of a story to say, "he's my childhood friend and his parents are really busy so he decided to transfer here since they couldn't home school him anymore."

"I see… Alright, well, I'll have you introduce yourself and let the other students ask questions. You can sit by Inoue-san, since you two are already friends."

"The onna and I are not friends," Ulquiorra stated.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," the teacher replied, walking back to her desk.

"C'mon! We sit over here!" Orihime said, instructing him to his seat.

Soon, the other students arrived, along with Tatsuki, Ichigo, and the others. Tatsuki dropped her bag and thought she was imagining things when she saw the espada sitting by Orihime. She was filled with rage and was about to attack Ulquiorra, but was stopped by Ichigo.

"I'll explain at lunch," he whispered, guiding her to her seat.

Tatsuki sat down but eyed Ulquiorra.

"_So he's the one that kidnapped Orihime."_

"Alright kids, settle down. As you can see, we have a new transfer student. Introduce yourself," the teacher said.

Ulquiorra stood up and looked at Orihime.

"Say your name, silly!" she whispered, giggling.

"Ulquiorra, Schiffer."

A student raised his hand to ask a question, and the teacher called on him.

"What's up with those weird looking tattoos?" he asked.

"I have no intention of answering that question, trash." Ulquiorra replied, making the class silent- except for Orihime, who was awkwardly laughing, trying to lighten the mood.

Another student was called on and asked, "Where are you from?"

"Hueco Mundo."

"Why did you move here?" asked a girl with short hair.

"To be with the onna."

Ulquiorra didn't see it, but Orihime was blushing, so the whole class knew he was talking about her.

"Alright, that's enough. Time for the lesson."

Ulquiorra was actually intrigued by the lesson. He enjoyed learning, and Orihime noticed that about him. She smiled at the thought of him enjoying school. Orihime then got a note tossed on her desk. She read it.

"Come to the roof with the espada for lunch. Love, Rukia," it said, with a weird looking bunny drawn on it.

Orihime looked at Rukia, smiled, and nodded.

* * *

Soon, it was lunch time. Orihime brought Ulquiorra to the roof with her, just as the note from Rukia had instructed. There, she saw Ichigo, Tatsuki, Rukia, Uryu, and Sado. Tatsuki looked at Ulquiorra and lost her cool.

"YOU!" she cried out, running towards Ulquiorra.

She made a fist and went to punch him. Her fist made contact with his face, but he did not budge from his spot. It was like the time Orihime had slapped him, but the attack was filled with more hatred. Tatsuki stepped back, noticing her punch had no effect on him.

"You are the girl Yammy attacked. Interesting… you could barely sit up against his spiritual pressure, yet you attack me." Ulquiorra finally said. He took a step towards her, making her body slightly tremble. "Maybe I should show you the difference in strength between Yammy and I."

Ichigo and the others readied themselves for an attack.

"Stop, Ulquiorra," Orihime finally said, looking down.

He listened to her command and drew back.

"Tatsuki," she said, "I'm sorry I did not explain to you what was happening before, but you shouldn't have attacked Ulquiorra. Let's go, Ulquiorra. I'll introduce you to my other friends."

Ulquiorra looked at Tatsuki's pained face.

"Onna, do not be upset with this trash. She was angry at me for kidnapping you," he said.

"I'm not upset with her! I just don't want to see anybody getting hurt. Don't worry, Tatsuki, I'll explain everything! I promise! But, you need to forgive Ulquiorra for everything. He's changed."

"…Fine…" Tatsuki muttered.

Orihime laughed. "You two are actually alike in some ways!" she said.

"WHAT!? Don't say things like that, Orihime!" Tatsuki said.

"I agree with this trash. Do not say such ridiculous things." Ulquiorra said.

Then, everyone was laughing, besides Ulquiorra. He refused to show emotion in front of Ichigo. He glanced over at Orihime. She was laughing.

"_This onna is different than the one in Hueco Mundo,"_ he thought.

He glanced at Ichigo.

"_Maybe it is because of him…"_

Ulquiorra felt a strange sort of feeling he has never felt before. Was it jealousy? Was he jealous of the orange-haired shinigami for being able to make Orihime smile and laugh? Soon, they all went back to class.

* * *

"Ulquiorra! Are you ready?" Orihime excitedly asked, leaning over his desk once the bell rang.

"For what onna?" he replied.

"House hunting! You need some place to stay, remember? How could you forget, silly?"

Ulquiorra frowned. Not only did he hate how she called him 'silly', but he secretly did not want to leave her house.

"C'mon! Let's go!" she said, grabbing his hand and walking him out of the classroom.

Ulquiorra felt the strange feeling by his hollow hole again. They took a path by the river.

"Onna, you can release my hand now," he said, staring at the back of her head, for she was leading him.

"Oh! Sorry!" she said, looking back at him, walking backwards. He was afraid that she would trip with her clumsiness. "Aren't you excited? With all of this money, you could buy an actual house instead of an apartment!"

Ulquiorra frowned once again, this time, Orihime noticed.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked. "Am I talking too much?"

"No," he replied.

"Then what's bothering you?"

Ulquiorra looked Orihime in the eyes and questioned whether or not he should tell her. Finally, he said, "I wish not to leave your apartment."

"Huh?" she replied, shocked. "You want… to live with me?"

"If it bothers you, onna, I shall not ask or bring it up again."

"I'm just surprised to hear you say that! Umm… my apartment is small… but I'm sure we can make it work!"

Orihime smiled at Ulquiorra.

_"Things are going to get a lot more interesting around here…"_ she thought, walking home with her new roommate.

**Author's Note: I just had to make them live together haha. Okay, so my laptop is just being crazy. I plug it in and it won't charge! D: Eventually, it's going to die and I was barely able to post this. Anyways, please review! :D **


	8. Chapter 8: Shopping Trip

**Author's Note: I'm sorry if there are many mistakes in this chapter! I am so tired right now and I only felt like scanning through it! Here is chapter 8! Enjoy! **

Chapter 8: Shopping Trip

Orihime and Ulquiorra sat on the couch watching television. Well, Orihime watched television. Ulquiorra was reading a book, finding nothing funny about the comedy Orihime was laughing at. It had been a week since the two started living together.

Orihime recalled the time they told everybody that they decided to live together.

* * *

_FLASHBACK_

She was at school on the roof with Ichigo, Ulquiorra, Rukia, Uryu, Sado, Tatsuki, Keigo, Mizuiro, and Chizuru.

"How was house hunting?" Tatsuki asked.

"Haha, about that…" Orihime replied.

Now everybody was paying attention.

"Ulquiorra and I are going to live with each other!"

"WHAT!?" everyone, besides Sado, cried out in shock.

"Haha… yeah…"

"Inoue, is he forcing you to let him live with you?" Ichigo asked.

"Do not make me dispose of you, trash," Ulquiorra said, glaring at Ichigo.

Soon, the conversation about the two living together ended, and everyone was happy again.

"So, what is everybody doing this weekend?" Mizuiro asked.

"I don't have any plans," Chizuru replied. "Hey! It's still warm, so we should go on vacation to a beach!"

"That sounds like so much fun!" Orihime said, jumping up and down in excitement. "Don't you think so too, Ulquiorra?"

"Onna, I thought I told you not to ask me ridiculous questions," he replied.

"Hmph."

Soon enough, it was decided that they would go to the beach that weekend.

_END OF FLASHBACK_

* * *

Orihime snapped out of her flashback.

"That reminds me!" she suddenly cried out, slightly startling Ulquiorra.

"Onna, do not randomly say things like that," he said, continuing to read.

"Sorry! I just remembered the day after tomorrow is Friday, and we are going to the beach with everyone after school! We need to get you a bathing suit! I should get one too. I think mine got too small. I'll go ask Tatsuki, Chizuru, and Kuchiki-san to come with us!"

Orihime ran to her room to call her friends.

"That onna is very talkative," Ulquiorra said to himself.

"_I wonder what a bathing suit is,"_ he thought.

* * *

After school the next day, Orihime, Ulquiorra, Tatsuki, Chizuru, and Rukia went shopping for bathing suits. Tatsuki, Rukia, and Orihime were walking ahead of Ulquiorra and Chizuru- who was playing with a new camera she got just for this occasion.

"Are you excited?" she asked Ulquiorra, pressing buttons on her camera.

"You and the onna ask the same question," he replied. "Why would I be excited?"

"Because you are finally going to see Orihime in a bathing suit!" she replied.

"What is a bathing suit?"

Chizuru looked at him jaw dropped, and said, "Wow, you really are from a different world. A bathing suit is a magnificent piece of clothing for girls! It shows off our curves and makes boys go insane! In other words, it makes Orihime, the goddess of beautiful bodies, look insanely attractive- even more than usual! Which is nearly impossible, I might add."

"Ulquiorra! Chizuru! C'mon, we are here!" Orihime said, standing in front of the shop.

The four went inside. Ulquiorra looked at all of the clothes. They were mainly girl swimsuits. He stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do. He saw Chizuru trying to get his attention by waving her arms in the air. Once she noticed he was watching, she pointed at the swimsuits, then at Orihime, and winked.

"Kuchiki-san! You should try this one on! It's super cute!" Orihime said, holding out a pink, frilly bikini.

"Oh, it is cute. I'll go try it on!" Rukia replied, taking the bathing suit into a fitting room.

She came back out a few minutes later, wearing the frilly swimsuit.

"It fits," Tatsuki said.

Rukia got back into her normal outfit, purchased the bathing suit, and went to join everyone else.

"Now it's Chizuru's turn!" Orihime said, smiling and giving her a red bikini with a black bow in the center.

Chizuru put it on and showed everybody.

"It's perfect!" Orihime cried out, jumping up and down while clapping her hands.

When Chizuru joined them, back in her normal clothes and her new swimsuit in a plastic bag, Orihime gave Tatsuki a black one-piece. Tatsuki and Orihime went in the fitting room, for Tatsuki didn't want the others to see her- especially Ulquiorra. They came back out a few moments later and joined everyone else again.

Orihime smiled, looked at Ulquiorra, and said, "It's finally your turn!"

Ulquiorra grumbled and followed the excited, orange-haired girl to the small section of men's bathing suits.

"Girls, I need your help on finding something for him!" she said.

The girls were then discussing which one they thought was best for Ulquiorra while he stood, bored, watching Orihime look at the swim trunks.

"This one!" she finally said, grabbing them off the rack.

The bathing suit was black and had one vertical, green stripe on each side.

"Here! Go try it on!"

Ulquiorra then walked toward a fitting room, but suddenly stopped to look back at Orihime.

"Onna, are you not coming?" he asked, waiting expectantly.

"HUH!?" all of the other girls cried out.

"You went with her."

"Ulquiorra…" she said, "you are a boy and I am a girl. We can't go together, silly!"

"Ridiculous."

Ulquiorra put on the trunks while the girls waited patiently outside the fitting room.

"Onna, I am done," he said.

"Well, come out so we can see!" Orihime replied.  
Ulquiorra walked out, surprising the girls. He looked good. Being an espada, his abs were in tone and the trunks matched his hair and eyes perfectly. Orihime found herself blushing, which hadn't gone unnoticed by the other girls.

"It fits, onna."

"Yes, yes it does."

"I will buy it then."

"Yep."

When Ulquiorra returned, Chizuru jabbed him with her elbow, winked, and said, "What about you, Orihime-chan?"

"Oh yeah! I forgot about myself!" she replied.

Orihime eventually found a bright pink bikini. The bottom had a white bow on each side, while the top was kept together by being tied behind her neck and back. It also had a white bow in the center. She went to go try it on.

"I've been waiting for this all day!" Chizuru said, getting her new camera back out.

"Is she really that pretty?" Rukia asked, suddenly feeling insecure about her petite body.

"When it comes to bikinis- or bodies, in general- Orihime is the best. It's been that way since we were young." Tatsuki said.

"Well, Ulquiorra? Are you excited yet?" Chizuru asked.

"I see no reason for excitement," he replied.

` Suddenly, Orihime walked out. The bikini definitely showed off her curves and Orihime looked like a goddess. Ulquiorra, once again, felt a new feeling. Could this new feeling be lust? He has never felt lust towards any of the female arrancar in Hueco Mundo, not even Halibel.

"Orihime! You look amazing!" Chizuru cried out, blood dripping out of her nose.

"It's a little tight though… up top" Orihime whispered.

"I think it's perfect," Chizuru replied. "What do you think, Ulquiorra?"

"_Evil piece of trash," _Ulquiorra thought, "_I'll have to kill her later."_

"The onna looks…" he started.

All four girls were looking at him, curious about his answer.

"She looks different," he finally said. "The shinigami and the quincy are going to try to harass her, thus, I will have to dispose of the two."

"_An indirect compliment, huh?" _Chizuru thought.

"_Is he… jealous?"_ Tatsuki and Rukia thought, looking at each other.

Orihime blushed and said, "Silly, I'll be swimming the whole time so they won't see me! Kurosaki-kun and Ishida-kun wouldn't harass me, anyways!"

Orihime smiled and tilted her head. She was barely able to notice what her little actions had done, but she did. She saw Ulquiorra Schiffer, fourth ranked espada, man with no feelings, blush.

**Author's Note: I really enjoyed writing this chapter haha. :) Please review! :D**


	9. Chapter 9: The Vacation to the Beach

**Author's Note: This is definitely the longest chapter so far! :) Chapter 9! Enjoy! :D**

Chapter 9: The Vacation to the Beach

Finally, it was Friday, the day they were leaving for the beach. The ten of them rode the train to the beach. The plan was to leave after school Friday, check into a hotel, and leave on Sunday.

Ulquiorra was finding the train ride annoying. Ichigo and Rukia were arguing, as usual, Uryu and Sado were having a peaceful conversation, Keigo was bothering Mizuiro, and Tatsuki and Chizuru watched. Orihime was sitting by Ulquiorra, laughing at all of her friends.

"Onna," Ulquiorra said, "your friends are babbling idiots."

She sighed. "Well, you're my friend too, Ulquiorra, so if they are babbling idiots, then so are you!"

Ulquiorra was hesitant about replying. He had always replied saying they weren't friends, but Orihime never believed him. To be honest, Ulquiorra wasn't sure if he believed himself whenever he said that.

Finally, he said, very quietly, "I guess you are right…"

Orihime smiled, proud she was finally able to get him to admit they were friends.

They finally got to the hotel, and were going to check in.

"How are we deciding the rooms?" Tatsuki asked.

"We should do girls in one room and boys in the other!" Chizuru answered.

Orihime looked at Ulquiorra. Just as she expected, he was frowning at Chizuru's idea. She knew that he would not want to stay with the other boys, for he wasn't very fond of them- especially Ichigo and Uryu.

"Umm…" she said, "can Ulquiorra and I share a room?" Ulquiorra nodded.

"What!? Of course not!" Ichigo, Tatsuki, Keigo, Chizuru, and Uryu said.

Orihime looked at Ulquiorra and shrugged. There was no resolving that issue.

"Let's go put away our luggage in our rooms and go to the beach!" Mizuiro said.

Ulquiorra followed the other boys while Orihime followed the other girls. They all got into their bathing suits- while Keigo tried to sneak peeks at the girls, only to be fatally injured by Ulquiorra, Ichigo, and Uryu- and met up in the lobby of the hotel. Then, they hurried to the beach.

Once they got there, the girls instantly ran into the water while the boys, except for Ulquiorra, started having a sand-castle-making-contest. Ulquiorra stood, watching Orihime pretend to be a shark, chasing the other girls.

_"What am I supposed to do?"_ Ulquiorra thought to himself.

Suddenly, as if she could read minds, Orihime stood up and waved to Ulquiorra.

"Ulquiorra! Come swim with me!" she yelled.

"Onna, I see no point in splashing around in the water."

"The point is to have fun, silly. Do you not know how to swim?"

Ulquiorra showed a hint of annoyance at her question, but coolly replied saying, "Foolish onna. I am the fourth-ranked espada, of course I can swim."

Orihime smiled devilishly and said, "Wow, fourth-ranked. I don't know, maybe third, second, and first rank could swim, but a fourth ranked? Impossible."

Ulquiorra, finally losing his patience, walked up to the water and said, "You shall regret you said that to me, onna."

"Bring it."

Ulquiorra stepped in the water and started drowning instantly. Orihime swam over to him and pulled him up.

"What was that about knowing how to swim?" she asked, grinning.

"Onna, the only reason I cannot swim is because there are no beaches in Hueco Mundo," he replied with an annoyed look on his face.

Orihime giggled and said, "I'll teach you how to swim!"

"No."

"Why not?"

"It is pointless."

"Hmm… well Ichigo can do it. You don't want to lose to him, do you?"

"I never thought of you as the taunting type, onna. Fine, I will learn this ridiculous activity."

Soon they were the only ones in the water, while everybody else was sitting by the sand castles the boys made during their contest- which Uryu won. They watched as Orihime had her arms around Ulquiorra while he paddled.

"Wow. Who knew Ulquiorra couldn't swim," Ichigo said.

"It's very surprising. It is also surprising how close the two have gotten," Rukia replied.

"You have to admit, they sort of look cute together. As if they belong together," Mizuiro said, smiling.

"She definitely changed him, I'll admit that," Uryu said, remembering their times in Hueco Mundo.

Ulquiorra had finally gotten used to swimming and didn't need Orihime to hold him anymore.

"Good job, Ulquiorra!" Orihime said, clapping and smiling.

Ulquiorra found himself liking her attention, so he kept swimming, until he heard a shriek from Orihime. He turned around and found Orihime, her face extremely red and her arms covering her chest. She was obviously embarrassed about something.

"Onna, what is wrong?" Ulquiorra asked, swimming to her.

"I uhh… I lost my t-top…" she said quietly, vigorously shaking her head.

The rest of the group heard Orihime shriek and were swimming towards them.

"Oh no! They are going to see me topless! This is so embarrassing!" Orihime said, looking as if she was about to cry.

"I'll find your top, onna," Ulquiorra said, diving under the water to find the pink top. It was a good thing that it was a bright color, for Ulquiorra found it rather quickly. He swam back up, held out her top, and said, "Here it is."

Orihime blushed an even redder color- if it were even possible- and held out one of her arms to grab the top while her other arm covered her chest. She put it over her chest, but then realized she needed somebody to tie it for her.

"Ul-Ulquiorra…" she said.

"What, onna?"

"C-can you umm… tie it for me…?"

"Yes."

Orihime turned around and held the top to her chest while Ulquiorra tied the strings for her back. His fingers kept touching her back, making Orihime's back tingle. The both of them were blushing now, except Orihime's blush was much darker than Ulquiorra's. Then, Ulquiorra started to tie the strings for her neck. When his hands touched her neck, Orihime gasped and tried to hold back her blushing. The two were so close to each other, Ulquiorra could feel the heat radiating off of Orihime's body. As soon as he finished tying her swimsuit, the others approached them.

"What happened!?" Ichigo asked.

"I uhh… I lost my top and Ulquiorra had to find it and tie it up for me…" Orihime replied, covering her face with her hands.

"Oh…"

Soon, everybody was back in the hotel's lobby.

"Alright, we should go to our rooms," Tatsuki said. Everyone agreed and went to their rooms.

In the girls' room, the girls got dressed into their pajamas and sat on the floor eating and gossiping. They gossiped about the cute boys in school, who they didn't like, and much more.

"So Inoue, how are you and Schiffer?" Rukia asked, curious about their relationship.

"Good! We're learning new things about each other every day! At first I thought it would be hard and awkward living together, but it really isn't! He usually does the cooking and cleaning. He even helps me with my homework sometimes," she replied.

* * *

The same thing was happening in the boys' room: gossip.

"Hey, Kurosaki, what is your relationship with Kuchiki-san?" Uryu asked.

"We've been wondering the same thing!" Keigo and Mizuiro added, while Sado sat, nodding.

Ulquiorra knew Orihime had feelings for Ichigo, so he spoke up and said, "I, too, am questioning your relationship with the female shinigami."

Ichigo's eyes widened and he blushed.

"What do you mean!? Nothing is going on!" he lied.

The two have been hiding their relationship to make sure things didn't get awkward. Too late.

"I'll be right back!" Ichigo and Rukia said at the same time, even though they were in different rooms, for they had planned to meet up that night.

* * *

Orihime had realized she forgot her phone in the lobby, so she went to go get it. On her way, though, she saw Rukia and Ichigo having a pretty heated conversation.

"We should just tell everyone now!" Rukia said.

"No!" Ichigo cried out, slightly blushing.

"It's like you said, the boys are already onto it! The girls have asked me about it before, too!"

"_What am I doing!? I shouldn't listen to their conversation!" _Orihime thought, walking away and forgetting about her cell phone once again.

When Ichigo returned to the room, hoping the boys forgot about what they asked him, he found all of them looking at him expectantly.

"You are dating my lovely Rukia-san, aren't you!?" Keigo cried out.

"It is so obvious," Uryu and Mizuiro said. Chad simply nodded.

"Uhh… yeah… we were going to tell everybody tomorrow…" Ichigo replied, bright red.

Ulquiorra thought about Orihime and asked, "What about the onna?"

"Huh? Inoue is like my little sister."

Ulquiorra felt angry. He knew this was going to hurt Orihime because he knew she had feelings for Ichigo.

The boys talked a bit more before going to sleep. The next morning, Orihime knocked on the boys' door and woke them up, telling them the girls wanted to go swimming. They all went down to the beach.

Orihime suddenly pulled Ulquiorra aside and asked, "Hey, Ulquiorra, have you felt any odd spiritual pressure lately?"

"No. Why do you ask?" he replied, looking at her.

His eyes traveled across her body, admiring what he was seeing- in complete denial, of course.

"Well I heard Kuchiki-san and Kurosaki-kun talking last night and I thought something important might be going on. I guess it's nothing to worry about!"

"What were they saying?" he asked.

Orihime told him what she heard.

Ulquiorra, unable to lie to her, said, "Onna, you are mistaken. They were talking about their relationship and debating whether or not they should tell all of you. I have confirmed this last night."

Orihime looked at him with wide eyes, and said, "What?"

But soon enough, she saw Ichigo and Rukia share a little kiss. The boys, and Chizuru, blushed, Ulquiorra scowled, and Tatsuki looked at Orihime. She knew Orihime had feelings for Ichigo. Tatsuki and Ulquiorra were the only ones who saw Orihime with a sad smile on her face. Suddenly, tears gathered in her eyes and were falling down her cheeks.

"Haha. That's funny! Why am I crying? I must be a romantic!" she said.

Orihime then covered her face and continued to cry, for she couldn't fake a smile anymore. Ulquiorra's hands formed fists after seeing Orihime in such a miserable state.

"I will quickly go and dispose of them," he said, walking towards the others, only to find Orihime grab his hand to stop him.

"No… I'm fine, really! I'm truly happy for them," she said, smiling and wiping away her tears.

"Onna, you are lying. How could you be happy for them when their relationship causes you pain?"

"Because they are happy. I'll admit, I'm a little sad to see them together, but if they're happy, I will gladly be sad."

"It is despicable how they show affections in front of you."

"They don't even know I love him!"

Ulquiorra scowled very loudly and everyone looked at him, only to see something completely unexpected. They saw Ulquiorra hugging Orihime in a tight embrace.

**Author's Note: Awww poor Orihime. Please review and tell me what you think of the story so far! :D**


	10. Chapter 10: Jealousy

**Author's Note: I've decided to add Monday to my update days! :) So expect updates from me every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday! Remember to review! Anyways, here is chapter 10! Enjoy! **

Chapter 10: Jealousy

Everyone was surprised to see Ulquiorra hugging Orihime.

"Ulquiorra… what are you doing?" Orihime asked, starting to hug him back.

"Be quiet, onna. Your friend gestured me to do it, so I did," he replied, letting go of her and looking at everyone else.

"Whoa, Ulquiorra giving a hug. How unexpected." Uryu said.

"I agree," Ichigo replied.

Ulquiorra glared at them and replied, "Trash."

Tatsuki stepped in and said, "Orihime! Schiffer! Come swimming with me!"

"Okay!" Orihime said, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the water. "Part two of your swimming lessons!"

When the three were far enough so the others couldn't hear them, Orihime asked, "Tatsuki, why did you tell Ulquiorra to hug me?"

"Because," Tatsuki started, "I know seeing Kuchiki and that idiot, Ichigo, kiss really upset you. I also know you love hugs."

"Oh. Thanks, you guys! I'm fine though."

"Onna. Swimming lessons." Ulquiorra said.

"Oh, okay, Ulquiorra!"

She grabbed his waist and held onto him while he made short strides with his arms. He enjoyed the swimming lessons. Not only was he learning to do something, but Orihime holding him gave him the feeling that would arrive in his hollow hole. He decided he liked this feeling, even though it confused him.

* * *

Tatsuki returned to the group, who was watching Orihime and Ulquiorra.

"How do you not think they are cute!?" Rukia asked.

"Once you've almost been killed by Schiffer, nothing he does is _cute_." Uryu replied while Ichigo nodded in agreement.

"I don't know," Tatsuki said, "I guess they sort of go well together. He seems to always want her attention. It's sort of cute."

"Hmph. Good thing Inoue doesn't like him." Ichigo replied, crossing his arms.

"You never know, they could both develop feelings and get together. Just like you two." Mizuiro said, looking at Ichigo and Rukia.

* * *

Back in the water, Ulquiorra had mastered swimming.

"Wow, Ulquiorra! You are already a great swimmer! Not as great as me, though." Orihime said, giving him a mischievous smile.

"Onna, are you challenging me?" he asked, looking at her beautiful hair draping over her shoulders.

"I'll race you back to shore!" she cried out, swimming back without letting Ulquiorra get ready.

Orihime got back to shore, only to find Ulquiorra looking at her, for he had beaten her.

"You used your powers, didn't you!?" she asked. "You cheater!"

"Onna, you are the one who cheated first, and you never said I wasn't allowed to use my powers," he replied.

"Hmph!"

Orihime stuck out her bottom lip, making herself look extremely adorable and Ulquiorra to look away, not able to hide his emotions around her. Orihime then sneezed.

"Onna, you are sick. I shall take you back to your room."

"Aww, okay."

Ulquiorra started Orihime a hot bath. Orihime got in the bathroom, closed the door to get undressed, and got in the tub. Ulquiorra sat in front of door.

"Ulquiorra?" she asked.

"Yes, onna?" he replied.

"Have you ever been in love?"

"No."

"Have you ever liked a girl?"

"I have no emotions."

"You're no fun!"

"Onna, you- for some odd reason- are in love with the shinigami boy and were just in pain over it. What you humans call "love" seems to cause pain."

"…I guess you're right… but it also causes happiness."

Ulquiorra thought for a moment before asking, "Onna, why do you hold such positive feelings toward the shinigami boy? You are obviously out of his league."

Orihime, though Ulquiorra couldn't see, blushed before saying, "I don't think I am out of anyone's league. I love Kurosaki-kun for many reasons. He saved me from my brother and helped him pass on. He also gave me my powers and helped me get close to everybody else. I have my best memories around him. He gave me a purpose and made me feel… not so lonely anymore."

Ulquiorra, though he didn't understand it, felt pained at what she said about Ichigo. Although he didn't realize it yet, he wished she said wonderful things about him instead.

**Author's Note: This was a really short chapter, but I figured that since the last one was pretty long, it should be okay if this one is short. :) 10 chapters done? Wow! Please review! :D**


	11. Chapter 11: Going Home

**Author's Note: One of you suggested that I make Orihime have a crush on some new guy, but I figured that at the moment she still loves Ichigo, so that won't really fit. So I decided to add something else for you. This chapter is kind of filled with drama, so I don't know how I feel about it. Anyways, here is Chapter 11! Enjoy**

Chapter 11: Going Home

"Onna, you are late," Ulquiorra said outside of the girl's room.

"Sorry!" Orihime replied, "I woke up late!"

"Open the door so I can help you, onna."  
Orihime did as she was told and opened the door to let him in.

"I'm still packing. I'm so slow!" she said, rushing to her opened suitcase. "I can't get anything to fit!"

Ulquiorra walked over to the girl and said, "Onna, it does not fit because you did not fold your clothes first."

He began packing her suitcase, including her swimsuit, bras, and underwear. He noticed Orihime's face was as bright as a tomato.

"Onna, why are you flustered? I am only helping you so we can make it to the train on time."

"It's still embarrassing!" she replied, covering her face with her hands.

"Ridiculous."  
Once they were done, they ran to their group of friends- Ulquiorra carrying the suitcases- and entered the train.

"What took you so long, Orihime?" Tatsuki asked.

"I couldn't get my clothes to fit in my suitcase so I had to have Ulquiorra fold my clothes." Orihime replied, sitting between Ulquiorra and Uryu.

"He folded your clothes? You two sure are close." Rukia said nudging Ichigo.

"I would have gotten it done faster if the onna stopped being embarrassed by it." Ulquiorra stated.

Everyone was laughing, except for Orihime, who became flustered once again. When their train arrived back to Karakura Town, everybody seemed to go their separate ways- besides Orihime and Ulquiorra, since they live together.

While walking home, Ulquiorra holding both of their luggages, Orihime suddenly stopped to look at two people- a boy and a girl- across the street. They seemed to be in a very heated argument.

"It's Takishima-kun…" Orihime murmured. "I wonder what he is arguing about with his girlfriend…"

"You know him, onna?" Ulquiorra asked, slightly annoyed with the distraction from getting home.

"Yes. He's my friend. I've known him since I was little and we played together a lot. We've kind of fallen out of touch, though. Anyways, let's go. It's bad to eaves drop."

"Okay."

* * *

They got back home and began to unpack. Once they finished- Orihime taking much longer- she decided to make dinner. She made an odd dinner for herself and a normal dinner for Ulquiorra. Orihime stared at him with curious, grey eyes.

"What is it, onna?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. It's nothing," she answered.

"I am well aware you are lying. Speak up."

"Oh, okay… I was wondering if you ever get hungry for human or hollow souls."

Ulquiorra was a bit surprised, but answered, "I have not craved for souls, even in Hueco Mundo."

"What? I thought hollows were supposed to eat souls!"

"Yes. I had eaten souls for survival, but never out of desire."

"Oh. Haha, that's interesting!"

"Why, onna?"

"Hmm? It means you are more like me than a hollow. Except for strength, of course."

"I am not a human. Also, you are quite strong, onna. You are just too foolish a human to realize it."

Orihime blushed and continued to eat her dinner in peace.

"_He thinks I'm strong?"_

She loved her friends, but none of them saw strength in her. Rukia tried, but after she was kidnapped even she couldn't help but be over protective. It was funny how somebody she used to consider the enemy was the only one to believe in her strength.

"You want to watch a movie with me?" Orihime asked once they were done eating.

"Onna, we have school tomorrow. If you want to have better grades than the Quincy, you must get some rest," he replied.

Orihime stuck out her bottom lip and said, "Aww, please?"

"No. Now go to your room and get some sleep."

She ignored him.

"I will drag you, onna," he said, narrowing his eyes.

"Hmph! Carry me!" she demanded, laughing.

His eyes widened a fraction before saying, "If you wish," and carrying her over his shoulder.

"H-Hey! What are you doing!?"

"Carrying you."

"I was joking! You could at least carry me like a princess! Or a piggy-back ride!"

"Don't be ridiculous."

He lied her down in bed and she got under the cover, ready to sleep.

"Goodnight, Ulquiorra-kun," Orihime said quietly.

Ulquiorra stopped after hearing what she called him. Finally, he said, "Goodnight, Orihime," and walked out leaving Orihime covering her tomato colored face under the blanket.

"_He said my name! It sounded so… nice… I wonder why…"_

The next morning, Orihime got dressed rather quickly, for she was excited to see Ulquiorra. She ran to the living room- which is also the place Ulquiorra sleeps- and found him on the couch/bed.

"Good morning, Ulquiorra-kun!" she said, flashing a bright smile at him.

"Good morning, onna," he replied, standing up.

"_Back to onna, huh? I guess 'Orihime' was a onetime thing."_

"Let's go, onna," Ulquiorra demanded, grabbing her school bag and beginning their walk to school.

"Alright!" she said.

* * *

Their walk to school that morning was normal. Orihime talked about random things while Ulquiorra pretended to listen. Orihime knew he tuned her out sometimes, but she was fine with it. She just enjoyed his company.

They finally entered the school and noticed that there was a large group gathering in the hallway outside of their classroom.

"Onna, let's go." Ulquiorra said, walking through the crowd- tempted to shoot a cero at them- pulling Orihime with him.

"Okay…" Orihime said, trying to see what was going on and walk into the classroom at the same time.

When they got in the center of the circle of people, they realized that the attention was being given to the two they saw walking home the other day.

Takishima's girlfriend noticed the two and anger spilled out of her.

"You!" Takishima's girlfriend cried out, pointing at Orihime with rage.

"Kiriko! Stop!" Takishima cried out.

"Huh? Why hello Kiriko and Taki-" Orihime started, only to be slapped right across the face by the excessively angry Kiriko.

Orihime's eyes were wide and her head was jerked to the side.

"How could you!?" Kiriko cried out. "You ruined everything! I hate you!"

"Kiriko-san… I don't know what you are talking about…" Orihime said quietly, slowly turning her head to face the furious girl again.

"Kiriko! Enough!" Takishima cried out.

"Oh? You don't know?" Kiriko asked sarcastically. "That makes it so much better! You are Orihime, Inoue: the person that everybody finds innocent and perfect. It must not be your fault that Takishima fell in love with you!"

Orihime's eyes widened and she said "I didn't know… But how is it my fault that he developed feelings for me?"

"You probably flirted with him and led him on! You are sick!" Kiriko cried out, going to slap Orihime again.

This time, Kiriko's slap never reached Orihime's face, for Ulquiorra grabbed her wrist and forced her to stop.

"…Ulquiorra-kun…" Orihime murmured, looking down.

"I have had enough of your nonsense," Ulquiorra said to Kiriko. "The onna could kill you if she wanted, but is letting you throw your weak slaps at her. I do not understand why. I, on the other hand, shall not tolerate this foolishness. Let's go, onna. Do not stay around this trash. Feel no guilt. It is no fault of yours that this trash was unable to keep her boyfriend."

He pulled the distraught girl into the classroom where everybody had their eyes glued on them. Ulquiorra shot them all deathly glares. They sat in their seats and Ulquiorra gave Orihime her bag. She could hear everybody whispering about the scene that just happened.

"Onna, do not bother with these trash," Ulquiorra suddenly said.

"But… I ruined Takishima and Kiriko's relationship… I deserve it…" she replied, clutching the hem of her skirt.

"It is not your fault the boy developed ridiculous feelings towards you," Ulquiorra then thought and asked, "Did you know about these feelings?"

"A year ago, he told me he loved me… but I told him I didn't love him back, so we stopped talking… but I didn't think he would still hold those feelings for me…"

"…Is your face fine, onna?"  
"Yes… Is this how it felt when I slapped you?"

"Don't be ridiculous. You are much stronger than that trash, your slap hurt much more than that trash's slap. Also, I deserved the slap, unlike you."

Orihime giggled and asked, "Are you trying to make me feel better?"

"I find your ridiculous, happy side more appealing."

"Thank you," she said, blushing.

The class then started. Orihime tried to pay attention, but she couldn't stop thinking about Takishima and Kiriko. Ulquiorra, on the other hand, stopped paying attention long ago. He always found himself staring at the orange-haired beauty that sat next to him. He really enjoyed looking at her hair. It had such a vibrant color, he wanted to gently stroke it.

Soon, lunch came and the group went up to the roof. Ichigo, Rukia, Sado, Uryu, Mizuiro, Keigo, Chizuru, and Tatsuki asked Orihime for details on what happened, and Orihime filled them in.

"That bitch… I'm going to destroy her!" Tatsuki cried out, heading towards the door.

"We'll help!" Rukia and Chizuru said.

"No," Orihime said calmly, "I don't want her getting hurt."

"I heard you saved Inoue from getting slapped again," Ichigo said, looking at Ulquiorra.

"Yes," he replied.

"Good job. Seems like your role was reversed from a few weeks ago."  
" I suppose so."

Then, the door opened and everybody looked towards the door to see who was coming onto the roof with them. It was none other than Takishima.

**Author's Note: Too much drama? Oh well, there will be cuteness very soon. By the way, I hope you guys stick around because I finished writing Chapter 21 and I love it, which is why I added Monday's to my update days- so that you guys can hurry up and read it! :D Pleeease review! :)**


	12. Chapter 12: Confrontation

**Author's Note: Pretty short chapter today. Sorry! And special thanks to my "number one fan" GirlAkatsuki! :D**

Chapter 12: Confrontation

Ulquiorra, Tatsuki, and Chizuru were filled with rage seeing Takishima, the boy who started this whole mess, on the roof with them.

"This isn't going to end well," Rukia whispered to Ichigo.

"Orihime… can we talk?" Takishima asked with pleading eyes.

"Then say it in front of all of us so we can make sure you aren't as evil as your bitch of a girlfriend," Chizuru said, crossing her arms.

For once, Ulquiorra agreed with the girl.

"Chizuru-chan, stop-"

"Fine, Orihime, when we were kids and you saved me from loneliness, I instantly fell in love with you. So last year, when you rejected me, I tried everything to move on, which is why I started dating Kiriko and stopped talking to you. But, oddly enough, even a whole year of not talking to you wasn't helping me get over you. I then ended it with Kiriko this morning to stop using her," Takishima informed the group.

"Takishima-kun…"

"Please, just tell me there is a slight chance between us."

Ulquiorra found himself curious to her answer. He didn't understand why.

"…I'm sorry… I don't have those feelings for you… I'm really sorry, Takishima-kun, but I don't see it happening…"

Takishima stared at Orihime in disbelief. After a moment, he let his anger out by crying out, "Fine! I can't believe I spent nine years worshipping you! Those years were wasted because of you! You are such an ugly bitch!"

Tatsuki- being the good friend she is- went to punch Takishima in the face, but was too slow, for Ulquiorra had already lost his cool and sent the boy flying across the roof.

"You are a worthless piece of trash. The onna is not only very attractive, but is also a magnificent person. I am going to dispose of you," Ulquiorra stated, gripping Takishima's collar.

"Ul-Ulquiorra-kun! Stop! It's okay! I'll handle this!" Orihime said, grabbing the back of the hem of Ulquiorra's shirt.

Ulquiorra looked at the worried girl over his shoulder, released Takishima, and said, "If you insist, onna."

Orihime walked to the shaking man in front of her, smiled gently, and said, "I'm sorry you feel that way, Takishima-kun, but you're wrong. I think I am doing something right since I have Ulquiorra-kun defending me. You can't handle rejection and you used Kiriko-san, and I will never forgive you for that. I saved your life just now. Don't expect me to do it again. Goodbye, Takishima-kun. I hope not to see you ever again."

Takishima got up and ran away, not looking back, obviously afraid for his life against the espada and even the karate-loving best friend.

"Damn, Inoue! I never expected you to say something like that!" Ichigo exclaimed, grinning at the girl.

"I never expected to see Schiffer defend you like that," Uryu said, pushing his glasses up.

"Inoue! Did you hear him call you 'very attractive'? How cute!" Rukia said, grinning just like her boyfriend.

Ulquiorra sent Rukia the deadliest glare she had ever seen. He felt weird about Orihime knowing he found her attractive, for some reason.

"Aww, Ulqui! Are you embarrassed!?" Orihime asked, grabbing his hand. "Haha, thank you for what you said. It made me feel better."

Orihime was blushing and saw a faint shade of red also spread over Ulquiorra's face.

"Don't be foolish, onna. And don't call me that ridiculous name. 'Ulquiorra-kun' is fine," he replied, looking away, attempting to hide his blush.

"You're no fun, Ulqui!"

Everybody was laughing while Ulquiorra watched Orihime, who was still holding onto his arm. He found himself enjoying her touch.

"Those two just get cuter and cuter," Rukia whispered to Tatsuki.

"Yeah, I agree- even though he is a total ass," Tatsuki replied, "and I have a great idea to get them to realize they like each other! Follow my lead!"

"Okay!"

"Hey, Orihime! Your birthday is this weekend! What are you going to do to celebrate?"

"Huh? I don't know. I'm going to visit Sora's grave and then come home. I don't have any other plans," Orihime replied, still clinging to Ulquiorra's arm.

"It is your birthday this weekend?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Yes! September 3rd!"

"You humans celebrate your date of birth? How foolish."

"When's your birthday, Ulquiorra-kun?"

"December 1st."

The bell rang and lunch was over. Ulquiorra was going to walk with Orihime to class but was pulled by Tatsuki and Rukia.

"What is it, trash?" he asked, glaring at them.

"What are you going to do for Orihime's birthday?" Tatsuki inquired.

"Why would I do something? It is her date of birth, not mine."

"Exactly! You need to get her a gift and take her out somewhere nice!"

"You still have some money left over, right?" Rukia asked.

"Yes… but what am I supposed to purchase?"

"Anything you think she'll like! Rukia and I will plan your date while you buy the gift."

"Date?"

"Yes! You are taking her out on a date, so you need to look nice, you idiot!"

"We'll help you pick out clothes, too," Rukia stated.

"This will make her super happy," Tatsuki said in excitement.

"Fine. I'll take her on this _date," _Ulquiorra said, walking back to class to be with Orihime.

"That was surprisingly easy," Rukia said when she was sure the espada was gone.

"Yeah, it was. Maybe he unconsciously wanted to go on a date with her but was too afraid to ask, just like all of the other boys in this school," Tatsuki agreed.

"We are going to watch them on their date, right?"

"Damn right we are. This is going to be interesting."

The two girls walked to class thinking of outfits Ulquiorra should wear, where the two should go on their date, and strategies to get them to realize they like each other. Something good was going to come out of this date, they were going to make sure of it.

**Author's Note: From now on I'm going to add tiny previews for next chapters at the end! Here is a very tiny line from chapter 13: **"You love her, don't you?" **Who do you think is asking that? ;) Anyways, please review! :)**


	13. Chapter 13: Date Preparations

**Author's Note: Introducing two new characters today! Tell me what you think about them! Also, thank you to everyone who reviews, favorites, and/or follows! :D**

Chapter 13: Date Preparations

"Here! Try this on!" Tatsuki yelled, handing Ulquiorra a complete outfit.

This was step one of Tatsuki and Rukia's plan: buying Ulquiorra clothes for their date. She handed him black jeans and a green, plaid, button up shirt, while Rukia handed him a pair of simple black shoes and a black tank top. Ulquiorra was tired of shopping- mainly because Orihime wasn't there- and quickly tried on the clothes.

"Oh! He looks nice!" Rukia announced, once he left the fitting room.

"Yes! This is a keeper!" Tatsuki agreed.

Once Ulquiorra paid for the outfit, using some of the money Soul Society gave him, he met the two girls outside.

"Schiffer, meet us again after school tomorrow so we can plan your date and reserve it," Tatsuki demanded.

"Fine," he replied, walking back home.

It was already six o'clock, so Orihime should be preparing dinner. He thought about what type of food she would be making them, and was debating if he should starve that night or eat her deadly concoction.

"_This date… I wonder what those two idiots are planning… Why must I go through all of this work? She would surely enjoy it more if it was the shinigami boy instead of me accompanying her,"_ he thought, crossing the street.

Still walking, he saw a young child with a cart full of pretty, but cheap, jewelry. He walked past the cart to continue his walk home, but was stopped by a faint, cute voice asking, "Would you like to buy some jewelry?"

"No," he quickly answered, not even glancing the young girl's way.

"C'mon! Isn't there a girl you wish to impress? Buying her a pretty necklace will probably work!"

Ulquiorra was somewhat intrigued and walked to the cart. There, he saw necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. He had never bought a girl- or anybody for that matter- a present before, so he didn't know which one to choose.

"So who's the girl?" the brown haired girl asked.

Ulquiorra glared at her. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You're buying jewelry; of course it's a girl. Also, you only came here after I suggested buying something for a girl. Is she your girlfriend?"

"No."

"Do you like her?"

"I enjoy her presence."

"You are in love with her, aren't you?"

"I will buy this one," Ulquiorra stated, handing her a set of a pink necklace, bracelet, and earrings. Once she gave it back, he walked away and said, "And to answer your question: I hold no feelings of love."

As he was resuming his journey home, he heard the girl cry out, "You're in denial! Come again soon!"

"_Damn brat."_

He finally returned home- hiding the gifts that he just bought Orihime- and sat down at the table, where the orange haired girl was eagerly waiting for him.

"Where were you!?" Orihime asked, leaning across the table, making her hair hang around her face beautifully.

"Out," he replied, closing his eyes.

Orihime decided to change the topic. She figured he had a bad day and didn't want to talk about it; for she didn't know he was simply preparing for her birthday. She rambled on about her day at the bakery while he half-listened.

"Goodnight, Ulquiorra!" Orihime said when it was time for bed.

"Goodnight, onna."

* * *

The bell rang after class the next day, informing Ulquiorra that it was time for part two of Tatsuki and Rukia's plan. It was time to decide the layout of their date and reserve any locations, if necessary. They gathered in a coffee shop and Tatsuki and Rukia discussed what their plan will be while Ulquiorra listened. Eventually, the girls decided Ulquiorra would take Orihime to an amusement park, and then take Orihime back home, where everybody would be waiting for their surprise party. Ulquiorra was to give Orihime the gifts once everybody left.

They all started walking home. Ulquiorra walked faster this time, though, for he didn't want to eat any more of Orihime's deadly foods.

"_She may be beautiful, but she cannot cook."_

He then noticed the same little girl from yesterday with her cart. Ulquiorra wanted to just walk by, but he was once again stopped by the child.

"Hey! It's you again!" she said, excited. He merely looked at her. "Did you give her the presents? Did you confess your feelings towards her? Did she say she loves you back?"

"First off, you are a nosy child. No, I did not give her the jewelry yet. I shall tell you once more that I hold no feelings of love. Even if I did, she would not reciprocate the feelings, for she is in love with somebody else."

"Oh. Bummer. Are they together?"  
"No, the idiot is in a relationship with her friend."

"That's good! Well, for you, at least. That means you could win her feelings! Who knows, you might already have them and not know it."

Ulquiorra left and returned home. He saw that dinner was not cooked, so he looked for Orihime, finding her asleep on the couch. She fell asleep watching another comedy he didn't understand. Her hair covered her face, that is, until Ulquiorra hesitantly pushed it behind her warm, soft ears. The warm feeling in his hollow hole crept up, once again.

"Onna. You have not eaten. You must eat. Please refrain from sleeping where I sleep," he said, gently nudging her.

Orihime's eyes opened slightly as she smiled gently at him and said, sleepily, "Carry me, please! Princess style, pretty please?"

He sighed as he put his arms around her as he quietly said, "Fine," and carried her to her room.

Orihime's head was placed on Ulquiorra's chest as he carried her. Ulquiorra's beautiful fragrance intoxicated her, as hers intoxicated him. While he smelled like something fresh and nature-like, she smelled like strawberries and sweetness. He placed her in her bed and pulled the covers under her chin.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra-kun," Orihime mumbled, nearly asleep again.

"You're welcome, onna," he replied leaving her room.

He lied on the couch, wondering about their date on Saturday. Tomorrow was Friday, so he was done planning with her friends. He felt a bit nervous about the date, but he let those thoughts leave his mind as he drifted into sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Ulquiorra woke Orihime up for school. Orihime got out of her room with her beautiful, orange hair brushed and her uniform on without any visible wrinkles. Ulquiorra's hair wasn't as neat as hers, but he didn't care about his appearances. Once they ate breakfast, they put their shoes on and headed out the door.

"Hime nee-san!"

Orihime and Ulquiorra turned around to see a young boy.

"Kazuki-kun!" Orihime said, accepting a hug from the boy, while Ulquiorra sent a deadly glare towards him. "It's been so long! This is Ulquiorra-kun, my roommate I told you about!"  
Kazuki looked at Ulquiorra, glaring, smirked, and hugged Orihime tightly. He received ever more deadly glares after that.

"Huh? It's nee-san!" a girl voice cried out.

A young girl with brown hair flashed by Ulquiorra and joined the young boy hugging Orihime.

"Akiru-chan! It's good to see you!"

"You too, nee-san!"

The brown haired girl turned around and saw Ulquiorra. The two immediately recognized each other, for Akiru is the little girl that sold Ulquiorra the jewelry. She looked at Orihime, then back at Ulquiorra, putting two and two together.

"_So he loves nee-san, huh?" _Akiru thought.

"_If that damn brat says just one word about our encounters…"_ Ulquiorra thought. He didn't want her to ruin Orihime's surprise, or to make Orihime think he loves her, because he doesn't. Right?

**Author's Note: I personally like Kazuki and Akiru! Thanks to the people that suggested their names! Okay, here is the tiny preview for Chapter 14: **The corner of his lips was tugged up slightly in a barely visible smile. **That's right people, Ulquiorra is going to smile. Anyways, please review! :D**


	14. Chapter 14: This Is War

**Author's Note: Prepare for what I think is a cute chapter. :) **

Chapter 14: This Is War

"Akiru-chan this is my roommate, Ulquiorra-kun," Orihime said, releasing the brown haired child. "Ulquiorra-kun, these kids are Kazuki and Akiru, our neighbors!"

Kazuki glanced at Ulquiorra while Akiru simply held a knowing look on her face. Ulquiorra wanted nothing more than to wipe that look off of her face. The twins, Kazuki and Akiru, looked at each other and nodded.

Suddenly, Akiru grabbed Orihime's hand and said, "I have a secret to tell you, nee-san!" and led the orange haired girl away, leaving the boys to talk.

Ulquiorra was worried about Akiru telling Orihime something crazy, and was on the verge of shooting a cero, when Kazuki firmly demanded, "Stay away from my wife!"

Ulquiorra shot him a cold, impatient glare and asked, "What?"

"Hime nee-san is my wife! So stay away from her, or else!"

Ulquiorra, amused and annoyed at the same time, shot back, "You believe yourself to be her husband? How foolish. You are a mere child and she is a fully-developed woman. Why would she marry you?"

"I'M NOT A CHILD! I admit, we aren't married yet… but we will be soon! My sister and I have some sort of telepathy, and from her look, I could tell you love her too. Who wouldn't love Hime nee-san? But she's mine!"

"Interesting. So there are even more humans with strange abilities…"

"Huh? My sister and I don't really have powers, dummy! Anyways, Hime nee-san is flawless, I know. But that doesn't mean you get to be in a relationship with her! She-"

"What if I already am?"

"Wh-what?"

"What if the onna and I are in a _relationship_?"

Suddenly, Kazuki burst out into laughter, saying between laughs, "As if! Hime nee-san would never fall for someone like you!" The girls came walking back. Ulquiorra stood, feeling pain in his chest.

_"I suppose you are right, kid…"_

Ulquiorra, not wanting to let Kazuki believe he was right, slipped a hand around Orihime's waist and said, "Come, onna. We don't want to be late for school, in which I sit by you all day and eat lunch with you," leading her away.

Orihime blushed as he led her with his hand behind her back. "Bye, you guys!" she cried out, still being led.

Ulquiorra turned his head and smirked at the jaw-dropped boy. Akiru simply smiled with her knowing look and her arms crossed.

Once they were out of the children's sight, Ulquiorra pulled his hand out from behind Orihime's back and put it back into his pocket, much to Orihime's displeasure. She enjoyed the touch for some reason.

"_Ulquiorra-kun's hand was really warm… Or maybe it was just my back… Oh god, I hope I'm not blushing!"_ she thought, covering her red face with her hands.

Although, she was too slow, for Ulquiorra had already seen her flustered face and was smirking.

They arrived at school, just before the bell rang.

"Alright, class. Let's begin the lesson," the teacher instructed.

Orihime listened to the lesson intently while Ulquiorra watched her. Her amber hair perfectly framed her face and her eyes were sparkling. Her pink lips looked incredibly soft. Ulquiorra had known Orihime was attractive to everyone else and he accepted the fact that she was attractive to him. He couldn't deny it.

"_This must be lust."_

He let his eyes graze her. He had always taken time to admire her face and hair, but now his attention focused on her body. Her uniform showed her soft looking legs, much to his liking. He watched her chest rise and fall as she breathed.

"_It's a good thing she is an airhead and doesn't seem to notice me staring at her every day."_

* * *

When school was over, Orihime had convinced Ulquiorra to come with her to the bakery she worked at. She wanted to say hello to her co-workers and pick up her pay check. Bringing a plate full of cake to the table Ulquiorra was sitting at, Orihime sat down across from him.

"You want some?" she asked, smiling at him.

"I have no interest in sweets, onna," he replied, moving his gaze from her.

"C'mon! Just one bite! Please? I made it myself!"

"Then I will most definitely not eat it."

"What!?"

"Your cooking is disastrous."

"Hmph!" Orihime let out, crossing her arms and sticking her bottom lip out.

"If you think that will work, you are foolish, onna."

Orihime glared at him and then glanced at her pink cake. It had whipped cream and strawberries on top. She was proud of this cake. How could he refuse to eat it? Devilishly, she scooped up some icing, for Ulquiorra still wasn't looking at her, leaned over the table, and smeared it on his cheek. She sat back down, laughing uncontrollably while Ulquiorra stared at her with wide, emerald eyes. Suddenly, Orihime's laughing was interrupted when she felt a glop of frosting and whipped cream land on top of her head. She opened her eyes to see Ulquiorra smirking at her. The corner of his lips was tugged up slightly in a barely visible smile. Then, he grabbed a strawberry off the cake, leaned over table, and placed it on top of the whipped cream that he just placed on her hair.

Ulquiorra sat back down, looked at his creation, and said, "There. All finished." He definitely felt accomplished.

Orihime burst with laughter as she then scooped up a huge clump of cake to smear in Ulquiorra's face, saying, "This is war!" Her hand raced for his face, but he gently caught her.

"Onna, I am an espada. I am faster than you. You will never be able to get another piece of that concoction on me."

Orihime smirked as she said, "We'll see about that."

**Author's Note: I thought this chapter was cute and silly! :) Anyways, I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY need some name suggestions! Please give me some suggestions and review! :D Thanks to everyone that reviews/favorites/follows! You are all amazing! 3**


	15. Chapter 15: Kiss

**Author's Note: Important chapter! But I'm a little unsure about it. So tell me what you think and please review! :D By the way, thanks to everybody who suggested names, I will be using all of them! Keep suggesting though!**

Chapter 15: Kiss

Orihime and Ulquiorra entered their home covered in cake. Orihime's hair, face, and arms were drenched in frosting, while Ulquiorra's face and chest had frosting as well. Luckily, Orihime's boss is kind, so he did not scold her for their actions.

Orihime grinned and announced, "That was fun!"

Ulquiorra replied, saying, "It was rather amusing proving I am faster than you and that my reflexes are also better."

"You are not! Look at all of the frosting on you!"

"Onna, you have more on yourself."

"Hmm…"

Ulquiorra was too slow to see Orihime's new "attack." Ulquiorra's eyes were as wide as can be and his hollow hole was graced by warmth warmer than the sun. Orihime had kissed him on his cheek, which had a little bit of frosting, and he was going insane. If he had a heart, he was sure it would be banging against his chest. Her lips were very soft and gentle. Now his hollow hole was scorching hot.

Orihime then stepped back to look at him. Luckily the frosting on her face hid her red cheeks. Then, she playfully licked her lips and said, "Mmm… tasty! Well, I should go shower now. You can shower after me." She then turned around, leaving the wide eyed espada alone.

"_What… was that…?" _he thought, putting his hand to his cheek. "_That onna is insane. One simple act of hers has gotten me… flustered, to say the least. What is this emotion I feel? I am a hollow. I am not supposed to feel… So why does she stir this feeling inside of me? Surely, this can't be what these humans call 'love' is it?"_

* * *

Orihime stood with her back against the bathroom door with her hands on her cheeks. She turned the shower on and stood, the hot water gently washing away the cake.

"_Oh my god why did I do that!? I kissed Ulquiorra! Yeah… it was only a peck on the cheek, but still! Why does my heart feel like… like I just saw Kurosaki-kun…? Don't tell me… am I in love with Ulquiorra!? Oh my god! I love Ulquiorra! I even kissed him against his will! I am such a terrible person! It's no wonder why god always makes me fall in love with people that will never love me back…" _Orihime then continued to wash her hair and body while thinking of Ulquiorra.

* * *

Ulquiorra sat in front of Sora's picture in the living room. The deceased brother had a gentle smile, just like his sister. He decided to talk to the picture, just like he has seen Orihime do when she had a problem or was really happy.

"Your sister… She is strange," he said. "If you were watching- which the onna says you always do- you would have seen her _kiss_ me on the cheek. I do not understand. She is so strange, weird, has horrible taste in food, talks too much, is loud, and yet is also the greatest being to exist in any world. She has even managed to get myself questioning if I am in _love_ with her, even though I am a hollow. She is utterly confusing, but her lips are soft… This encounter… I feel as though I wish to have another. Maybe, I am in what you humans call _love."_

Just then, he heard Orihime end her shower. He got up and went up the stairs to wait by the door so he could shower next. He was… excited. He was also nervous though, for he was going to see the girl that he loves right after she kissed him. Orihime then opened the door, only wearing a pink towel, and looked up into Ulquiorra's emerald eyes. Her face presented a furious blush. Ulquiorra, although he was just as flustered on the inside, kept a stoic figure. He discreetly let his eyes scan her body.

"Umm…" Orihime finally said looking at the floor, "I'm sorry I k-kissed you. I shouldn't have done that without asking…"

"It is of no consequence, onna. It was rather amusing," Ulquiorra said walking past her into the bathroom.

"Wh-what!? Amusing!? What do you mea-"

"I must shower now, onna. You should get dressed; it must be cold just standing in a towel," Ulquiorra said, smirking. Orihime's blush darkened and Ulquiorra closed the door and started his shower.

* * *

Orihime sat on her bed in her pink, fluffy pajamas. She was still flustered and her thoughts all jumbled in her mind. She recalled the sweet, little peck. His cheek, though it had a bit of frosting, was soft. That peck on Ulquiorra's cheek had been the first kiss she has given to anyone- besides Sora- and she wondered what his lips would taste like. Yes, she had been kissed by one or two boys that were fast enough to get the tiniest peck on her cheek, but she did not have feelings for them and Tatsuki would instantly beat them up. Orihime then began to fantasize herself and Ulquiorra in a romantic setting, kissing, Ichigo and the others clapping for her and Ulquiorra's relationship.

"_Agh! What am I thinking!? That could never happen! Ulquiorra would never like someone like me… We are complete opposites…"_

Orihime hit herself on the head and lied back in bed. She stared at the ceiling and remembered it was her birthday tomorrow. This distracted her from thinking about the espada, for now all she could think about was visiting Sora's grave.

"_Sora's grave… I'll bring some lilies. I wonder how he's doing…"_

Just then, tears silently fell from her eyes and slid down her cheeks. Orihime had always hated crying because her friends always worried about her. Making her friends worry about her killed her inside. She felt she was a burden. But, if she cried around Sora it felt natural. It felt to her as if crying was okay around him, that he would not think of her as a burden and that he would help her through all of her rough times. She really longed for her brother to return. Now, her tears were heavily falling and she was quietly whimpering. Her hands were on her face and she was curled in a ball, tightly hugging her legs.

"I miss you, Sora," Orihime murmured.

* * *

Ulquiorra stood outside of Orihime's door, wondering if he should enter and try to comfort her. He had been downstairs when he sensed it: a very, very slight fluctuation in Orihime's spiritual pressure. Immediately, he went up to her door and was about to enter, until he heard her whisper, "I miss you, Sora." It had been quiet, but Ulquiorra was able to faintly hear it.

"_The onna is crying,"_ he thought. He originally believed it was because of Ichigo, but realized it wasn't when he heard her whisper. "_I guess I'll let him live then… But, what should I do? I should call her human friend. Or I should comfort her myself."_

Ulquiorra decided to call Tatsuki instead.

"Hello," Tatsuki said, wondering why Ulquiorra was calling her so late. Ulquiorra then told her about Orihime. "Oh. I'll be right- actually… Maybe you should make her feel better yourself."

"Why can't you do it?" Ulquiorra questioned.

"You two should get closer. Besides, it would take me a while to get there. Go comfort her, and do it right or I'll kill you."

Tatsuki hung up, leaving a very confused espada to wonder about what he should do. Finally, he knocked on Orihime's door and said, "Onna, I am entering now." Ulquiorra hadn't been so educated in privacy, so when he wants to come in, he comes in.

He opened the door and found Orihime trying to quickly rub away her tears. "Wait- oh… You are already in here…" she said. "We need to work on your privacy skills!" She gave him a bright smile.

Ulquiorra did not fall for her fake smile. Instead, he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her, remembering the time they were at the beach and he did the same thing to help her when she saw Ichigo and Rukia kiss. Orihime's eyes widened and she slowly wrapped her arms around him.

"Ul…quiorra?" she said, letting her head rest on his shoulder.

"Hush, onna. I am comforting you. Do not hit me again this time."

"Huh?"

"Do you not remember slapping me- though it was weak- in Hueco Mundo?"

"You were trying to comfort me then!?"

"I was trying to get you to stop crying because it was annoying and so that you would eat your food."

Orihime burst into laughter.

"What is funny, onna?"

"The fact that you were trying to cheer me up back then! You weren't so good at it then!"

"I suppose not. What about now?"  
Orihime's arms tightened around him as she said, "You have improved drastically. Thank you, Ulquiorra-kun. I'm so glad you are here. I'd be so sad if you weren't."

Orihime then backed out of the hug to look at Ulquiorra. His emerald eyes met with her grey eyes. She couldn't stop staring into them, while Ulquiorra also could not pull himself from her gaze. Orihime didn't realize what she was doing until she pulled away for a second time.

Orihime, sweet, innocent Orihime, has once again kissed Ulquiorra, but this time a bit closer to his lips. She was blushing madly, but tried to suppress it. Ulquiorra, wide eyed, couldn't hold in his urges anymore. He quickly went and kissed Orihime back- except, he was more daring, for he kissed her on the lips. It was sweet and gentle. Ulquiorra then pulled away from her and got up from her bed. Orihime watched him. He then started walking towards the door.

"Goodnight, onna," he said.

"Goodnight, Ulquiorra."

**Author's Note: Did I rush it? I don't know, but we all knew it was going to happen eventually! Here is the preview for chapter 16: **"Onna," he said, slightly amused with how nervous she was, "hurry and finish getting ready. I am to take you out for your birthday." **Yes, the moment you've all been waiting for: their date! See you on Friday! :D**


	16. Chapter 16: Date

**Author's Note: Okay, my laptop is being very stupid and I was barely able to get internet to work! Also, somewhere in the next 2 weeks, I might not have internet connection because I'm moving and won't be able to post. :( I will try my best to get a hotspot so that I can keep updating!**

Chapter 16: Date

Orihime woke up on her birthday feeling nervous.

"_What happened last night?_" she thought, pacing around her room. "_Did it mean anything to him? What does this make us, anyways!? Agh! This is confusing!"_

Orihime got dressed into a long, white skirt and a pink, long-sleeved shirt. She then went to brush her hair and her teeth in the bathroom, but as she opened the door to go to the bathroom, she found Ulquiorra waiting outside of her room.

"Ul-Ulquiorra!" Orihime squeaked, her nervousness taking effect.

"Onna," he said, slightly amused with how nervous she was, "hurry and finish getting ready. I am to take you out for your birthday."

Orihime was surprised and asked, "What? You don't have to! What about Sora's grave?"

"Just hurry. We shall visit his grave on the way."

Orihime beamed at him and said, "Okay!" She then ran into the bathroom to finish getting ready.

Once she finished, she found Ulquiorra waiting for her at the door. She slipped on her white shoes and went outside with him.

"Happy birthday, nee-san!" Kazuki and Akiru said once they saw Orihime.

"Kazuki-kun! Akiru-chan! Thank you!" Orihime replied, holding her arms out for a hug.

The twins gave her a hug, and then held out a tiny box with a pink ribbon wrapped around it.

"A present!? You two are the best!" the orange haired girl said while she unraveled the ribbon.

Orihime opened the box and found a cute phone charm. It was a donut with pink icing and rainbow sprinkles.

"Agh! It's so cute! I love it! Thanks, you guys!" Orihime said, putting her phone charm on her phone.

"You're welcome, nee-san!" Kazuki and Akiru said, waving goodbye and running off to play.

"They are so sweet!"

"They have you fooled, onna." Ulquiorra replied.

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Let us go."

"Okay!"

* * *

The two finally arrived at Sora's grave. Orihime placed the lilies on his grave and prayed. Her eyes watered, just as they do every time she visits his grave. Then, the two left, after she said goodbye.

Finally reaching the amusement park, Orihime cheered up. She grabbed Ulquiorra's hand and ran to the entrance.

"Onna, wait here," the espada said, directing Orihime to a bench, "I will go purchase the tickets."

"Okay!" she replied, sitting down.

Ulquiorra walked to the ticket booth and bought the tickets. When he turned around, he saw Orihime surrounded by a group of boys trying to get her number. Ulquiorra's hands clenched the tickets as he walked back to the girl. Orihime, who wasn't aware of the boys' intentions, was telling them stories while they pretended to listen.

"Oh! This is my friend, Ulquiorra!" Orihime announced once she saw Ulquiorra approach them.

The boys looked at him and shrugged him off. This frustrated the dark haired hollow even more and he decided to kill them when his roommate wasn't looking. For now, he grabbed Orihime's arm gently and pulled her away.

"You didn't even say 'hello' to them!" Orihime said, pouting.

"Those pieces of trash don't need me to greet them," he replied, still holding her arm.

"Fine. Hey, let's go ride that rollercoaster!" Orihime shouted, pointing at a rollercoaster with steep hills and loop-de-loops.

"If that is what you wish, then I will oblige."

Eventually, they got to the front of the line and heard the terror-filled screams from the people on the ride. Orihime looked at Ulquiorra. As expected, he didn't look scared at all.

"Alright, remember to keep your hands and feet in the cart at all times," the man at the controls instructed before opening the gates to let them in.

Orihime grabbed Ulquiorra's hand and led him to the cart in the front. They sat down and buckled the seat belt around themselves. The man from the controls came and pushed the bar down to keep them in the carts. Soon, the ride started moving. Its speed gradually rose and the girls on the ride started screaming, wanting their boyfriends to hold them- except for Orihime, that is. She was simply holding her arms up and laughing, enjoying the ride. Her fiery hair flew behind her like the sun.

* * *

"So, what ride do you want to go on now?" Orihime asked Ulquiorra once they exited the rollercoaster.

"Whichever ride is not filled with obnoxious females." Ulquiorra replied.

Orihime looked around the amusement park to find a ride suitable for him. Her eyes finally landed on the Ferris wheel and she shuddered. The girl had always hated this particular ride, but because she figured it was a ride that Ulquiorra would like, she decided to ride it.

"We can ride the Ferris wheel," she suggested.

"If you wish."

The two walked up to the ride, gave the man the tickets, and went inside of their cart. The moment the ride started, Orihime couldn't help but shiver from fear. This did not go unnoticed by the hollow sitting across from her.

"Onna, what is the matter?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, nothing really… I've just always been a little scared of this ride…" the girl answered.

"This ride slowly goes around in circles, onna. You seemed just fine on the other ride."

"That's different! That ride had safety belts and was a lot quicker! It also didn't rock as much…"

The two could feel the ride slowing down and they knew that soon it would be over. Sadly for Orihime, they were stuck on the top and had to wait for the others to get off of the ride first. Her body started to slightly shake.

"This is the worst part…" she mumbled.

Ulquiorra stood up, rocking the cart back and forth, causing more fear in the girl.

"Ulquiorra! Please sit down! You are making the cart rock-"

Ulquiorra sat beside the shaking girl and wrapped his arms around her as he said, "My sincerest apologies, onna. I still do not understand how you can be frightened by a simple ride like this, though, and not everything else in your life."

"…I don't feel so scared right now…" she stated, gazing into the espada's eyes, blushing.

As cliché as it was, the orange haired beauty and the fourth ranked espada could not fight back the urge to kiss, and ended up kissing at the top of the Ferris wheel.

"…Maybe this ride isn't so bad." Orihime announced.

* * *

Two hours passed and they have ridden each ride twice and ate some cotton candy. They were now walking home.

"That was fun, Ulquiorra!" Orihime said, holding a stuffed animal Ulquiorra won her by throwing darts at balloons, not missing a single one.

"Yes, onna," he replied, his hands in his pockets.

They approached a street and waited for the light to signal them to walk.

"So… uhh… Ulquiorra?" Orihime said, blushing and looking at Ulquiorra, hugging her elephant tighter.

"What, onna?" Ulquiorra asked, not looking at her because he knew what she was going to ask and he wished he could pretend it never happened. Yes, the kiss was great and made his heart fly, but he believed Orihime did not feel the same way about him.

"Well… it's actually about last nigh-"

"The light is green, onna. Let us cross."

"Umm… okay…"

Orihime then decided that since Ulquiorra obviously avoided the conversation about their kiss, it probably meant nothing to him and he was just trying to cheer her up and she should forget about it. But she couldn't. Last night, she felt as if her heart was beating against her ribs. Their kiss made her feel light and warm. A warmth that she has never experienced before. He was so gentle and his lips were as soft as silk. She couldn't just let this go; she needed an answer.

"Ulquiorra!" Orihime cried out, stopping suddenly.

Ulquiorra turned to meet her gaze as he replied saying, "Yes, onna?"

"Umm… We really need to talk about last night. I can tell you don't want to but… we have to…"

"If that is your wish, then I will talk about it."

"Huh? Oh! Okay! Well… I uhh… I wanted to if… uhh…"  
"Onna, say it already."

"…I wanted to if our kiss- or I guess I should say 'kisses'- meant anything to you…"

Ulquiorra thought about this. He knew it meant something to him, but he didn't know what. Finally, he replied, "Our display of affection did mean something to me, onna, but I am unsure as to what it was. Did it mean anything to you?"

"Well, yes. It did. This is my first kiss with…" Orihime blushed and looked down saying in a barely audible voice, "With somebody I love…"

Ulquiorra's eyes widened. "You enjoyed it?"

Orihime giggled and replied, "Of course I did. Did you?"

"I was entertained."

"Really?"

"Yes, do not make me repeat myself."

"Haha, okay!"

Orihime grabbed Ulquiorra's hand and they continued their walk home. They stopped right outside of their apartment when Orihime looked up at Ulquiorra.

"So… what exactly does this make us?" she asked nervously.

"I do not know, onna," he answered.

Little did Orihime know that her friends were able to hear them since they were inside of their apartment for her surprise party. Ulquiorra was fully aware of their presence, but simply did not care.

"Did you hear that, Kuchiki!?" Tatsuki whispered as quietly as she could. "Something happened between them!"

"You're right!" Rukia replied, sticking her head out from behind the couch.

Ichigo pushed her head back down and demanded, "Shut up, you two!"

Orihime then decided to drop the topic for now and go inside. She opened the door and turned on the lights when suddenly…

"SURPRISE!"

Orihime shrieked when Tatsuki, Ichigo, Rukia, Uryu, Sado, Keigo, Mizuiro, and Chizuru jumped out of their hiding spots.

Soon, Chizuru brought out the cake and everyone sang to Orihime. They ate and handed her the gifts they bought her. Eventually, after they helped clean up, they all left, leaving an excited Orihime and a bored Ulquiorra.

Orihime started to carry her gifts to her room when suddenly Ulquiorra said, "Wait, onna."

She turned around to look at him. "Yes, Ulquiorra?" she asked with a gentle smile.

Ulquiorra took out the pink jewelry he bought from Akiru, placed it on the stack of presents, and then returned his hand to his pocket. He watched her face for any reaction.

Orihime's eyes widened and she let out a huge grin.

"Ulquiorra! Thank you! It's perfect!" she cried out.

Ulquiorra, satisfied with her response, turned around, but his arm was caught by Orihime. She quickly turned him around, planted a kiss on his lips, scooped up her presents, and scurried off to her room so he wouldn't see her blush.

"_What a strange onna."_

**Author's Note: Because I have gotten more than 40 reviewers and I might not have wifi for a while, I decided I'll post an extra chapter later tonight for you. :) Also, I still need names! I only have 5/9 names! Here is the preview for chapter 17: **"Get up!" "Wh-why?" "I'm going to show you that he does love you!" **Please review! :D**


	17. Chapter 17: Confessions

**Author's Note: Thanks to everybody that reviews/favorites/follows! You guys are amazing! Here is a short chapter.**

Chapter 17: Confessions

Tatsuki woke up with a sense of determination. It was Monday morning, two days after she overheard Orihime try to define her relationship with Ulquiorra. She decided to get her best friend to talk to her about this. She could even get Ulquiorra to admit his feelings towards Orihime. Tatsuki pulled out her phone and called Rukia.

"Hello?" Rukia said.

"Kuchiki, it's me, Arisawa," Tatsuki replied. "I have a new plan. Today during lunch, I am going to ask Orihime about her feelings about Schiffer. While I'm doing that, you ask Schiffer about his feelings about her and convince him to confess to her!"

"Why can't I talk to Inoue!?" Rukia asked.

"Because I want to!"

"Fine, but do you really think this is going to work?"

"Record your conversation with Ulquiorra so we can prove it to Orihime!"

"What if he doesn't want to talk to me?"

"Make him!"

Rukia heard Tatsuki hang up and she let out a sigh.

"You two sound like you are in middle school," Ichigo informed Rukia, receiving a kick to the shin. "You two are still trying to get the two together?"

"Yes," Rukia answered.

"But he's a hollow, Rukia! We can't-"

"I'm aware of what he is, idiot. But, Inoue loves him and he makes her happy, we can't deny her of her happiness. What about us? Most people would say you and I shouldn't be together. Besides, you are a human, shinigami, and hollow, so you have no room to talk."

Ichigo grumbled something and the two started walking to school, Rukia completely ready for her mission.

* * *

Orihime and Ulquiorra were also walking to school. Orihime felt nervous after what she did after Ulquiorra handed her, her present. Ulquiorra, on the other hand, didn't feel nervous at all. He was surprised, though, at Orihime's sudden bursts of bravery whenever she kissed him. It was always unexpected and Ulquiorra still got confused about his own feelings upon receiving them.

Orihime tried to act natural, as if nothing happened, but it was hard. She started thinking that he doesn't want to be with her, and their kiss only meant something to him because it was his first.

_"How stupid of me! To think that he would actually like me!"_ she thought, letting her head hang in disappointment.

They arrived at school, and just like every other morning, the boys lined up to greet Orihime and bask in her beauty.

"_Disgusting creatures_,"Ulquiorra thought as he moved his bag to his other hand.

Just then, Ulquiorra grabbed Orihime's hand with his recently freed hand. She looked up at him, blushing and with questioning eyes. He simply stared ahead, and Orihime eventually did the same but kept blushing. The red shade on her face deepened when she heard the other students asking about their relationship. Ulquiorra shrugged them off.

Tatsuki, Ichigo, Rukia, Uryu, and Sado saw the two hand in hand.

"This'll be easier than we thought!" Tatsuki exclaimed to Rukia.

"Maybe you're right!" Rukia replied.

* * *

Eventually, it was lunch time, and Tatsuki instantly jumped out of her seat, grabbed Orihime's arm, and sprinted out of the room. Ulquiorra stood, about to follow them, but he then felt somebody's hand on his shoulder. It was Rukia. She immediately removed it once she saw him glaring at her. Though she'll never admit it, the girl was scared of the espada.

"Es- I mean, Schiffer! We need to talk!" she demanded. "What are your feelings towards Inoue!?"

Ulquiorra glanced around the room and saw Ichigo, Uryu, and Sado trying to discreetly listen to their conversation and were recording it. He sighed, unable to deal with their stupidity and child-like behavior. "I do not know," he finally said.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I mean, trash, that I am not sure what I am feeling towards the onna. I am aware that she makes my hollow hole warm."

"Do you love her?"

"Sadly, I am beginning to think so."

Rukia squealed and put her hands to her cheeks.

"Have you told her!?"

"No."

"WHY NOT!?"

"Because, trash, she already knows."

"She does? How do you know?"

"I have already displayed my affection a numerous amount of times."

Rukia's face turned red and she asked, "How!? When!?"

"We have, what you humans call, _kissed."_

Ichigo, Uryu, Sado, and Rukia had their mouths hung open in disbelief.

* * *

"YOU TWO KISSED!?" Tatsuki cried out after hearing her best friend's story.

"Tatsuki! Be quiet!" Orihime pleaded, not wanting anybody to hear them.

"Sorry… Do you love him?"

"…I do…"

"Why don't you tell him that!?"

"Because he doesn't love me back! The only reason our kisses meant anything to him was because it was new to him and he didn't understand them yet! But now he does!" Orihime's eyes started tearing up.

"What if he loves you back?"

"He doesn't!"

"He does! I'll prove it to you! Let's go!"

"Huh?"

"Get up!"

"Wh-why?"

"I'm going to show you that he does love you!"

"What!? No!"

But it was too late. Tatsuki was already dragging the orange haired girl to the classroom to have her hear Ulquiorra confess his love to her. Will he confess? Tatsuki sure hoped so.

**Author's Note: Here is the preview for chapter 18: **Suddenly, there was a huge spike of spiritual pressure. It was familiar to everyone. **Who do you think this unexpected visitor is? ;) Also, don't forget to suggest more names and review! :D**


	18. Chapter 18: Unexpected Visitor

**Author's Note: Wow, chapter 18 already and I have 50 reviews! I know it's not as much as some others, but to me it's still a lot! You guys are awesome! I'm proud of myself tbh. It's my first fanfic and I haven't missed an update and I hope not to! Anyways, enjoy!**

Chapter 18: Unexpected Visitor

Tatsuki was dragging Orihime back to the classroom to prove Ulquiorra loves her. Although the black belt was sure he loved her, she couldn't help but feel nervous as to if he would admit his feelings or not. One thing was for sure: if he didn't, she would guarantee his death.

"Tatsuki! Please, stop!" Orihime pleaded, nervous. She had every right to be nervous. She was about to ask a hollow that supposedly had no feelings what his feelings were towards her.

"Nope! Sorry, Orihime, but this has to be done!" Tatsuki replied.

Orihime tried to wriggle out of her best friend's grip, but it was to no avail. This confrontation was happening, whether she wanted it to or not.

Tatsuki threw the door to the classroom open and saw Rukia engaging in their plan.

"Schiffer!" she cried out, still dragging poor Orihime, who was now blushing madly and trying to run away.

"What is it, trash?" Ulquiorra asked, glancing at Orihime and then back to Tatsuki.

"Confess!"

"What are you talking about you idiot?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about!"

Tatsuki pulled Orihime in between them. Orihime's eyes stayed planted to the floor and her face was still a very dark shade of red.

Ulquiorra sighed. He now understood the two girls' plans. "Fine."

Orihime's grey eyes looked up to see Ulquiorra's emerald eyes.

"Onna-"

Suddenly, there was a huge spike of spiritual pressure. It was familiar to everyone. For Tatsuki, she witnessed this person fighting Ichigo, for he had fought him twice. Uryu and Sado never personally met him, but were well aware of who he was. This man ran his hand through Rukia's chest. Orihime was bossed around by him, along with almost choked to death, and Ulquiorra was his rival. It was none other than the blue haired espada: Grimmjow.

"Onna, stay put. I will deal with this idiot," Ulquiorra said, exiting his gigai.

Ichigo, Rukia, Uryu, and Sado followed him, leaving Tatsuki and Orihime on their own.

"Or-Orihime! What's going on?" Tatsuki finally asked.

Orihime ignored her friend and focused on the spiritual pressure. "Stay here, Tatsuki," she finally said, walking towards the door, "I must help them."

Tatsuki stood, stunned at her friend's random burst of courage. She recalled the days when Orihime was always bullied by their classmates. The kind girl never retaliated and took every hit, but now that those hits were directed towards her friends, she tossed away all of her compassion.

* * *

Orihime walked outside of the school and saw Ichigo engaging in battle with Grimmjow. She ran up to Ulquiorra, who was wearing his white uniform from Las Nochez again.

"Foolish onna, what are you doing here?" he asked, taking his eyes off of the enemy.

"I had to make sure nobody was getting hurt and to help! I can't just sit back! Not anymore!" she replied, fierce determination showing in her eyes.

Ulquiorra admired her strength and said, "As you wish."

Orihime smiled and turned her gaze back to the fight just in time to see Grimmjow send Ichigo flying with a kick to the stomach.

"Kurosaki-kun!" she cried out.

Ichigo got up and said, "Bastard… I'm fine, Inoue."

Grimmjow saw Orihime and immediately grinned.

"Hey, princess! How've you been doing since you returned from Las Nochez? You must be having nightmares! You look fine, though, for somebody that was just held captive and suffered from some intense fucking abuse!" the obnoxious espada said.

"G-Grimmjow… I've been fine, thank you… Why are you here?" Orihime asked.

"It's obviously for a rematch!" Ichigo said, preparing to attack.

"That and I came to talk to Ulquiorra," he replied, looking at Orihime, then to Ulquiorra. "Since the war ended, that damned Halibel took over. She felt your spiritual pressure in this world, so she fuckin' sent me of all people to bring you back."

"Why would Halibel want me back, trash?" Ulquiorra calmly asked, noticing Orihime tense up from the corner of his eye.

"Well, bat-shit, she wants you back because you're a fuckin' espada!"

"I have no intention of returning. Now, return to Hueco Mundo or else I will dispose of y-"

All they saw was a head of short and spiky black hair heading towards Grimmjow.

"STAY AWAY FROM ORIHIME!"

It was none other than the hot-headed Tatsuki. She couldn't deal with Orihime leaving to fight some monster, at least, not without her help. Tatsuki tried to punch Grimmjow, but being an espada, he swiftly caught her fist and grinned at her.

"Hey, who's this?" he asked, tightening his grip around her wrist, sending pain throughout her arm.

"TATSUKI!" Orihime cried out, running towards her best friend.

Tatsuki quickly kicked Grimmjow in the gut, causing him to cough and stumble back. Orihime ran beside her and healed Tatsuki's already bruised wrist, while also sending Tsubaki to attack Grimmjow. It was a shallow cut on his chest, but still effective. Although the two of them were humans, they definitely made a strong team. Orihime would never forgive somebody that hurt Tatsuki. Ulquiorra smirked at the sight of Orihime hurting Grimmjow.

"_That's my onna. Her skills have definitely improved,"_ he thought.

"Hey! Calm down!" Grimmjow demanded, straightening up. "I only came to bring bat-shit back!"

"Fine, but do not hurt my friends again, Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez," Orihime said with a deadly serious look.

"Wow! Look at the fucking princess showing some fuckin' courage! Good for you! Anyways, are you fucking comin', bat-shit?"

"No. I am staying with the onna." Ulquiorra answered.

Grimmjow glanced between the two roommates and it suddenly hit him. "Oh, I see! Bat-shit is fuckin' the princess! Of all people, you choose emo-ass to fuck, princess?"

Orihime blushed, "I-I-It's not like that!"

Grimmjow walked to the blushing girl, patted her head, and said, "You should be fuckin' me, not him!"

Grimmjow's laughter was cut short when Ulquiorra kicked him into the ground, creating a crater in the ground and blood to spurt out of his mouth.

"You idiotic piece of trash," he said, sending Grimmjow a deadly glare, "you are obviously making the onna feel uncomfortable. Also, what the onna and I do is none of your business and our relationship is between the two of us. You will never be involved in it."

Although he expected Grimmjow to remain quiet, he was bursting with laughter- along with Tatsuki.

"You call _me_ an idiot! You just admitted you're fuckin' her!"

"I never said-"

"Wait, so is it true?" Rukia asked Orihime.

"N-no! We haven't done t-t-that!" she replied.

"Oh, so what _have_ you two done?" Grimmjow asked, jabbing her with his elbow.

"They were simple kisses, trash." Ulquiorra answered.

"I KNEW IT!" Grimmjow cried out. He wasn't expecting the answer to just roll right out of the other espada.

"_Oh my god! How embarrassing!" _Orihime thought, covering her cherry-colored face.

Ulquiorra stood, stoic as ever, and Tatsuki just kept laughing.

That was the day everybody found out about Orihime and Ulquiorra's "relationship."

**Author's Note: So I guess everybody was expecting Grimmjow. Oh well. I like Grimmjow and I find him similar to Tatsuki haha. Here is the preview for the next chapter: **It had been two days since he almost told Orihime his feelings. Since then, they haven't talked about it. **So now you can pretty much guess what the next chapter is going to be about lol. Keep reviewing you guys! :D**


	19. Chapter 19: It's Official

**Author's Note: Sorry if I made any mistakes in this, I didn't have much time to really correct anything.**

Chapter 19: It's Official

"Hey, princess," Grimmjow said.

He was sitting on the couch, only wearing a towel, for he just got out of the shower.

"G-Grimmjow! Why are you only wearing a towel!? Go put some clothes on!" Orihime replied, covering her bright red face with her hands.

Grimmjow decided he did not want to go back to Hueco Mundo yet, so he has been staying with Orihime and Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra gently nudged Orihime inside the house, for he was still waiting outside of the house because of Orihime's sudden stop. He entered and saw what made Orihime become flustered. When he saw Grimmjow shirtless, he sighed.

"Oh, look. Bat-shit is here too," the blue haired espada said.

"Of course I am, idiot. The onna and I go to school together," Ulquiorra informed him.

"So have you two love birds discussed your relationship yet?"

"I'm going to go study in my room now! Bye!" Orihime announced, her blush growing while she ran to her room.

"I take it that's a no."

"For once in your useless life, you are right." Ulquiorra replied, sitting by Grimmjow on the couch.

It had been two days since he almost told Orihime his feelings. Since then, they haven't talked about it.

"Have you tried to fucking talk to her about it?"

"No."

"Well why the fuck not, shit-head!?"

"Your language is revolting. But no, we have not shared any form of intimacy since then."

Well that's why, you fucking dipshit! Do you even want to be with her?"

"When are you going back to Hueco Mundo? Halibel is going to-"

"Answer my question."

"Why do you care?"

"Because the princess and I have gotten closer these past two days. She's weird and annoying, but she's like a little sister to me now. And fuck Halibel! She ain't the boss of me!"

Ulquiorra sighed as he stood up. Although Grimmjow is an idiot, he was right. Orihime wouldn't want to display any form of affection with him if they weren't official. She's too innocent, and now that everybody knows about them, things have been awkward between the two.

Ulquiorra looked back at Grimmjow and demanded, "Go put some clothes on. Your appearance causes her to become flustered."

* * *

"Tatsuki! I don't know what to do!" Orihime cried out.

She was sitting on her bed, talking to her best friend on the phone.

"Just talk to him about it! He'll listen to you, he always does!"

"I can't!"

"If you don't, I will for you."

"Tatsuki, don't-"

It was too late. Orihime heard the beeping on the other line, informing her that she had hung up on her.

"_Oh my gosh."_

* * *

Back downstairs, Ulquiorra heard a knock at the door. Opening it, he saw Tatsuki.

"Hey, Schiffer, where's Orihime?" she asked, walking in the apartment without permission.

"What are you doing here, trash?"

"Hey, who's here?" Grimmjow asked, walking towards the door. He grinned once he noticed Tatsuki. "Hey, it's the girl that tried to fuckin punch me!"

The girl looked at the blue haired espada, who still wasn't wearing a shirt.

"Can't resist, am I right?" he asked, smirking.

"I've seen much better," she replied, walking past him and towards Orihime's room, leaving an aghast Grimmjow and smirking Ulquiorra. The girl knocked on the door and received no reply.

"Orihime, open up! We are doing this!"

"No!"

"Yes, you have to be strong."

Tatsuki was very surprised to suddenly hear the door creak and to see the nervous Orihime step out.

"I guess you're right," she quietly said.

Tatsuki flashed a smile and said, "Of course I am!" She grabbed the trembling girl and dragged her off. Arriving downstairs, the karate master grabbed Ulquiorra's hand and pulled him with the two to Orihime's room. She threw the two in and closed the door.

"Hey, what the fuck is going on?" Grimmjow asked.

"I'm getting these two to admit their damn feelings for each other," the girl answered.

"Onna, what is this about?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Well, it's like she says, we need to uhh… talk about this…" Orihime answered, her voice barely audible.

"Fine."

"Really?"

"Do not make me repeat myself."

"Oh, okay. Uhh, do you want to be in a relationship?"

"…I don't understand the point of having to have to title ourselves."

"Well, it's to… Wow, to be honest, I guess I don't really know why either! I do know that if we are in a relationship, nobody will try to interfere."

"That sounds… wise."

"So uhh… Are we official?" the orange haired girl squeaked.

"…It seems we are."

Orihime jumped up and down with a noticeable blush on her face. She then hugged him and planted a kiss on his soft lips. The couple heard the door open and saw Tatsuki and Grimmjow watching them.

"Gross, nobody wants to see that!" Tatsuki remarked. "But it's a good thing that you two are official now. We were all getting tired of watching you two bounce around each other."

Orihime giggled until she heard a familiar ringtone. She pulled her phone out and saw that she received a text. "Oh, it's from Rangiku-san!" she said. "It says, 'Hello, Orihime. This is just a reminder that the espada's report is tomorrow.' I totally forgot about that!"

"I wish not to go." Ulquiorra stated.

"Sorry, but you have to. I can go with you, if you want."

"Yes."

"Hmm… I guess we'll have to teach you to be nice!"

**Author's Note: I'm sorry if this seems rushed, my laptop apparently didn't save the last half of it and the packers packed my notebook with the original copy so this was all I could remember haha. Here is the preview: **"And if he is?" Shinji asked. "Then we will dispose of him." **Please review! :D**


	20. Chapter 20: Report

Chapter 20: Report

Orihime woke up that morning feeling happy. It has officially been a month since Ulquiorra was mysteriously brought back from the dead- to which they still have no idea how- and started living with her. So many things happened in that single month, it overwhelmed her just thinking about it. She had gotten over Ichigo, got slapped by a girl, saw Grimmjow again, and best of all, fallen in love with the green eyed espada: Espada.

Orihime got out of bet, put on her uniform, and brushed her hair and teeth. After school, the two were going to give a report to Soul Society about Ulquiorra. She wasn't quite sure what was going to happen, but she prayed her lessons with Ulquiorra on being nice would pay off.

Soon, it was lunch time, and all of them went to the roof.

"Hey, Ulquiorra, Tatsuki told me your first report is after school today," Ichigo said, poking a straw into Rukia's juice box.

"Yes," Ulquiorra answered, trying hard not to call him something rude.

"Oh!" Tatsuki said, jumping up, "It seems I forgot to mention something else!" She winked at Orihime and the kind girl looked back at her, wide-eyed, and gulped, dropping her food. "Orihime and Schiffer made it official the other day!"

Everyone dropped their food and stared at the couple. It was too unbelievable. Rukia ran to Orihime, who had a face the color of a tomato at the moment.

"Is it true?" Rukia asked, grabbing her hands.

"Yes…" Orihime squeaked.

Rukia then ran back to Ichigo, held out her hand, and demanded, "Pay up, loser."

Ichigo grumbled while he pulled out a twenty and handed it to his girlfriend. "Pipsqueak."

The bell rang and they all headed back to class, Ichigo limping after his remark caused Rukia to retaliate.

* * *

Soon, school ended and the new couple raced to Urahara's shop- Ulquiorra won, of course. The espada got out of his gigai and joined the others. Urahara opened the portal and bid them good luck as they passed through. The two eventually made it to Soul Society. Captains and lieutenants quickly flash-stepped to their location.

"Hello, Inoue and Schiffer," Ukitake said, gently greeting them.

"Hello, Ukitake-san!" Orihime greeted, giving him a bright, cheery smile.

"Well, the Head Captain would like to see you now. The report will be given in his meeting area."

"Okay!"

They all flash-stepped, Ulquiorra carrying Orihime since she couldn't, and entered the large room. The rest of the captains were there, waiting expectantly.

"Inoue, Orihime. I see you have brought the espada," Yamamoto said.

"Yes, Head Captain, I've brought _Ulquiorra."_

"I see… Captain Kurosutchi, take him."

"Huh?"

"Don't worry, they are just going to take a few simple tests with your friend," Kyoraku informed her.

"Oh… Okay… See you later, Ulquiorra," the worried girl said, waving at the espada.

Two men came and grabbed Ulquiorra, dragging him to follow Mayuri. Orihime watched, slight panic seething from her features.

"They could at least be gentle…" she murmured.

"I'll try to keep that in mind for the next report," Yamamoto said, turning the orange haired girl's attention back to him. "But for right now, I would like to ask you some questions."

"This sounds like an interrogation…"

Kyoraku chuckled and said, "Don't worry, it won't be so bad."

"Let's begin. Has the espada-"

"Ulquiorra."

"Right… Has Ulquiorra displayed any signs of being dangerous?"

Orihime thought through the month Ulquiorra has mysteriously been resurrected. "No, not really."

"Is it no or not really?

"Umm, no…"

"Has Ulquiorra mentioned anything about Aizen?"

"No."

"Last question: have you gotten any closer as to figuring out how he came back from the dead?"

"Not at all… Sorry…"

"It's fine, you may lea-"

"Actually, I have a question for you, if that's okay, Orihime-chan!" Kyoraku announced.

"Umm, sure!"

"What's your relationship with Ulquiorra?" he asked, smiling gently, but also as if he already knew the answer.

"Umm, we are uhh… Well…"

"It's okay, I think I got it. Have a nice day, Orihime-chan!"

"Oh, uhh, you too!"

Orihime exited the big room feeling relieved. She could feel the color she had lost in her face returning now and she felt calm. Until she heard a familiar- but still startling- voice.

"ORIHIME!" It was none other than Rangiku.

"Rangiku-san!" Orihime replied, holding her hand over her frantically beating heart.

"You are here for the espada's report, right? Well, c'mon! Let's go hang out while he's still being tested on! We can have more ice cream like last time!"

"Oh, alright!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Ulquiorra was having a harder time with this report. Not only was he being surrounded by the people he hated, but he was also being tested on. Earlier, he had to let them plug him into weird machines. He had just finished a test of reflexes and had to let the researchers look at his zanpakuto.

"Nemu! Hurry up!" Mayuri yelled.

"Yes, master. Sorry for the wait," his calm lieutenant replied, handing him a large needle filled with a green liquid.

Mayuri snatched the drug and laughed maniacally. "This is going to hurt."

He injected the needle into Ulquiorra's left arm, to which he didn't flinch. The emerald eyed man refused to show any tad bit of weakness, especially since it was just a needle. Once he finished pumping the drugs into Ulquiorra, Mayuri hastily withdrew the needle.

"Oh if only I could keep you with me and experiment on you until you turned to jelly!" the mad scientist said.

"I am leaving." Ulquiorra declared, heading out of the lab. He just wanted to find Orihime and go home.

"Wow! This ice cream tastes amazing, Rangiku-san! But I really am full, I think I'm done-"

"Here, try some of this! It's amazing!" the curvy shinigami demanded, holding out a spoon of vanilla ice cream covered in weird toppings.

"But Rangiku-san, I really am-"

"Onna, let us go now. I am done with the ridiculous tests and I wish to leave." Ulquiorra said, entering the room without knocking, surprising both girls.

"Ulquiorra! You're done!" Orihime shouted, getting up from her seat. She turned back to Rangiku. "Goodbye, Rangiku-san, it was great visiting you again! I'll see you in another month!"

"Bye, Orihime-chan! Have fun with your boyfriend!" the bust women replied.

By the time the couple got home, it was already dark and the moon was shining brightly in the sky, stars twinkling around it.

"So, how was it?" Orihime finally asked, unable to keep quiet.

"It was a waste of time," Ulquiorra answered.

"What did you do?"

"You already know the answer to that. They simply ran ridiculous tests on me."

"I meant what kind of tests, silly."

"They hooked me up to several contraptions, researched Murcielago, and injected a green drug into my body."

"A drug? Hmm, I wonder what it does."

* * *

"Why are we here again? I have many tests to complete with my new test subject," Mayuri asked, impatient.

The captains once again stood in the big meeting room.

"Captain Kurosutchi," Yamamoto replied, "explain the new drug you have given the espada."

"Fine. The drug I created is simple, but still very magnificent. It will allow me to see the espada's dreams."

"As Kyoraku proved earlier, Inoue, Orihime has special feelings towards the espada. Her reports on the hollow may be biased. We cannot take any chances of the girl lying to us, so we must look deep into his mind to find out if he really is trying to seek revenge on Soul Society. It could also help us find out how he has come back from the dead."

"And if he is?" Shinji asked.

"Then we dispose of him."

"What about Inoue?" Ukitake seriously asked, although everyone in the room was well aware of the answer.

"Unfortunately, we would have to quickly dispose of her as well."

**Author's Note: **She held her hands out in front of her face and it was so dark, she couldn't see them. Fear was starting to take over her. **That was the preview for chapter 21! One of my favorite chapters so far! Please review! :D**


	21. Chapter 21: Answers Become Revealed

**Author's Note: Yes, I noticed the mistakes in the last chapter when I was editing it for mistakes haha. I guess I forgot to save it. How embarrassing! Anyways, here is chapter 21, one of my favorites! Caution, the amount of cuteness is going to decrease starting now and tension will increase! Enjoy!**

Chapter 21: Answers Become Revealed

It was dark, very dark. Pitch black to be precise. Nothing could be seen in this world. Nothing could be heard. It was a frightening place, a place that could drive you mad. It was a place that Orihime Inoue did not deserve to be in. But she was. And she did not know why or how.

"Hello? Ulquiorra? Are you there?" she cried out in the darkness.

There was no reply.

She held her hands out in front of her face and it was so dark, she couldn't see them. Fear was starting to take over her.

"Is anyone there? Kurosaki-kun? Kuchiki-san? Ishida-kun? Sado-kun?"

The silence was deafening.

"Is anybody there!?"

Once again, silence was the only reply.

Orihime sank to the floor. Tears gathered in her eyes as she grasped her hair and started rocking herself back and forth. The madness was affecting her and it was happening fast. She was scared.

The last thing she remembered was giving Ulquiorra a goodnight kiss and heading off to her room after their report with Soul Society.

"_Wait, could this only be a dream?"_ she thought to herself. _"Maybe the dreams are starting again… But why? Ulquiorra was already brought back, and both of us had these dreams, so he should be dreaming the same thing. He should be here! What's going on!? What should I do!?"_

The tears gathered in her eyes started falling and she started sobbing. She was all alone, enveloped in darkness.

_"Somebody, help me…"_

Madness was consuming her, along with confusion and fear. She gripped her arms and curled into a ball.

"_Anybody…"_

Her grip tightened.

"_Somebody… Please…"_

Blood dripped down her arms from her tight grasp.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

"Would you look at that, the princess screaming for help, like always," a male voice rang out through wherever she was.

"H-Hello?" Orihime called out, shaking.

"She looks pathetic," another voice- one that sounded like a girl- said.

"Who's there? Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter who we are," the male voice said.

"W-Well where am I?"

The male chuckled and said, "That doesn't matter either."

"Okay… Well then _why_ am I here?"

"Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner! Now _that_ is the question you should be asking!"

"Hey, shut up," the female voice demanded.

"You shut up!"

"No, you! We have to get on with this! It's not like we have all day, you idiot!"

"We can take as much time as we want!"

"This is why I'm the one in charge."

"Shut up!"

"Inoue, Orihime," the female voice began, deciding to end her quarrel with the male voice, "eventually, you are going to have to make a choice, and…"

Orihime yelped as she felt a sharp pain at her stomach and she could feel blood start to seep through her clothes.

"Let's just say you better make the right decision."

"Wh-What do you want?" Orihime asked between pants. The pain was becoming unbearable.

"We'll tell you some other time. For now, you are going to listen to some other demands of ours."

"Sound good, princess?" the male voice asked, chuckling after.

Orihime glared straight ahead of her, for she still couldn't see anything and was unsure of the other people's locations.

"Get stronger," the female voice demanded.

"Huh?"

"That is one of our requirements. Another one of our requirements is to act completely natural once we let you out of here. If you can't, there will be heavy consequences to pay."

"You think being in this place is bad?" the male voice asked, "Well if you can't pretend to be little-miss-sunshine when you get back, let's just say the others will inflict much more pain than us."

"Others? So there are more of you…"

"Yes," the female voice answered, "some of them much stronger. Do as we say, and maybe they won't hurt you at all."

"Why do you want me to get stronger? And why do I have to pretend that nothing happened? Just how long am I going to have to pretend?" Orihime asked, clutching her stomach as the pain kept growing.

"You are in no position to ask questions, princess!" the male voice yelled, his voice screeching.

"You need to get stronger," the female started, "because eventually we are going to have you fulfill certain tasks for us. I guess you could say that eventually you are going to be our minion, on _our_ side. You have to pretend because it will ruin our plans if people start becoming curious as to why their sweet, little Orihime is upset. We are unsure as to how long you are going to have to pretend. All we know, is that you better, or else."

"Or else _what?"_

The male voice started laughing maniacally and said, "It seems as though threatening her health won't really be affective. So how about we tell her already?"

"Tell me what?" Orihime inquired.

"You idiot, we weren't supposed to let her know yet, we were going to use that some other time, for if she started disobeying."

"Well what's the difference? Either way, whether we say it now or later, she'll listen."

"Fine," the female voice said. "Inoue, Orihime, think back. Think back to a month ago."

"A month ago?"

"Yes, a month ago."

"…Uhh… I was having strange dreams… So was Ulquiorra… And then he was brought to life…"

"Ding, ding, ding!" the male voice called out.

"Think some more, Orihime," the female voice instructed. "What do you think you are doing right now?"

"…Being tormented and harassed by people I don't know…"

"Well, besides that."

"I don't know!"

"Ugh, you are _dreaming_."

"Oh…"

"About a month ago, you were dreaming as well. You were having synonymous dreams with the hollow."

"Yeah… so?"

"Your dream right now is being controlled by the two of us."

"Wait… So that means…"

"Yes. Your dreams from about a month ago were also being controlled by us."

"But…"

"Now think a little more. How could we control the hollow's dreams when he was already dead?"

"I'm not sure…"

The male voice let out another chuckle and he said, "It's simple, princess. He was brought back before we controlled his dreams."

"As we've said before, there are more of us. One of our comrades has the power to resurrect the dead. It is such a magnificent power that he is our leader. He resurrected your friend and the two of us kept him asleep for two days while also controlling his dreams and also controlling yours when you fell asleep those two nights."

"Wait… So you brought him back to life!? This is insane!"

"Almost as insane as a human like you having extraordinary powers?" the male voice questioned.

"Wait a second, how long have I been asleep?" Orihime asked.

"Well, because you kept demanding explanations and asking us questions, this dream has been way longer than we expected."

"How long is that?"

"Two days."

"Two days!?"

"It's not just an inconvenience for you, Orihime. Now people are going to be suspicious as to why you have been asleep for two days. But you know what to do, right?" the female voice asked.

"…"

"The moment you wake up, you are to pretend to be 100% normal."

"And if I don't?"

"Oh, that's right, we forgot to inform you of the rest of the threat when we were explaining how your friend was brought back. It's simple; our leader can easily take back the life that was given. Pretty much with a snap of his fingers.

Orihime's eyes grew wide and she covered her mouth with her hand.

"Do not resist us, Orihime. Do as we say and both of you may live. If you don't…"

Once again, another sharp pain was inflicted on Orihime, this time on her right arm.

"We will take away the one you love."

**Author's Note: I really like this chapter tbh haha. Here is the preview for chapter 22: **During the lesson, the orange haired girl could not stop thinking about her dream. It was like the time she dreamt about Ulquiorra, but now she was filled with anxiety. Lying to her friends has never felt so bad until now. Pretending to be cheerful was hard and it was killing her. But she had to keep going, for if she didn't, the man she loved would be killed. **Like I said, the amount of cuteness is decreasing. I hope that doesn't bother you! Please review!**


	22. Chapter 22: I Won't Let You Take Him

**Author's Note: This chapter is pretty short but oh well! Enjoy!**

Chapter 22: I Won't Let You Take Him

Orihime's eyes opened to see the ceiling of Urahara's shop. She sat up frantically, remembering her dream, and lifting her shirt to check her stomach for any slashes that the two might have inflicted on her. The orange haired girl was relieved and surprised to see that there was no indication whatsoever about the pain she dealt with in her dream. The girl then checked her arm and found the same thing. Tears swelled in her eyes as she thought more about her dream. She quickly wiped them away, remembering that she has to pretend to be completely normal.

"Schiffer, I know you are worried, but for her health you have to stay out here. She needs her rest," Orihime heard Kisuke say outside of the room.

"Ulquiorra? Urahara-san?" she called out.

The door to the room was thrown open and Ulquiorra immediately went by her side, followed by Urahara.

"Yoruichi! Tessai! She's awake!" Urahara yelled.

Orihime was happy to be hearing other people's voices. But more than anything, she was happy to see Ulquiorra.

"Onna, you have awakened," he said.

"Yes, Ulquiorra," she replied, gently smiling at him.

Yoruichi and Tessai entered the room and stood by Kisuke.

"Inoue-san, you've been asleep for two days," Kisuke informed her.

"I have?" Orihime asked, pretending that she didn't already know that.

"Yes… Do you have any idea as to why?"

"No, none at all… What about school?"

"You slept through Saturday and Sunday, so no school days were missed. Are you sure you don't know anything?"

"Yes."

"Alright then."

"Do you feel alright, Miss Inoue?" Tessai asked.

"Yes, I feel great, thank you! It was just a long nap, I'm fine, really. I feel refreshed!"

"Inoue, are you sure-"

"Yep! I'm sorry, but I have to go to school! Ulquiorra, let's go!"

Ulquiorra nodded and the two left the shop. They arrived at their house and Orihime immediately went to her room. The stress was getting to her and she couldn't be around Ulquiorra, for lying to him was the hardest. She got dressed into her uniform, brushed her hair and teeth, and went back to the living room to go to school with Ulquiorra. He was waiting by the door for her. She approached him and he turned his gaze to her, took her bag, and grabbed her hand, leading her out of the apartment.

As they walked to school, Ulquiorra asked Orihime, "Are you sure you are alright, onna?"

The girl giggled and replied saying, "Yes, Ulquiorra. I just slept for a long time, that's it. So what happened while I was asleep?"

"I tried to wake you up but you wouldn't awaken, so I carried you to the idiot's shop. The shinigamis, the quincy, and the other strange human came and tried to wake you up but it was to no avail."

"Oh… Were you worried?"

"Yes."

"Sorry…"

"It wasn't your fault."

* * *

The two finally arrived at school and entered the classroom. Ichigo and the others instantly headed towards the girl and bombarded her with questions. She told them what she told Kisuke and the others and went to her seat.

During the lesson, the orange haired girl could not stop thinking about her dream. It was like the time she dreamt about Ulquiorra, but now she was filled with anxiety. Lying to her friends has never felt so bad until now. Pretending to be cheerful was hard and it was killing her. But she had to keep going, for if she didn't, the man she loved would be killed.

"_Why does this have to happen to me?"_

The bell for lunch rang, but Orihime did not hear it because she was too lost in thought.

"_Why can't I ever have a break from all of this stress?"_

The students were getting up to go eat their food outside and with their friends.

"_Why does god offer me somebody to love, just to take him away?"_

"Onna." Ulquiorra said, waking her up from her trance.

"Huh?"

"You were lost in thought."

"Oh, sorry! Is it time for lunch?"

He nodded his head and they went to the roof with the others. Orihime couldn't keep up with their conversations and found herself spacing out more often. This did not go unnoticed by Ulquiorra.

* * *

Eventually, the long, stressful school day came to an end and the couple was walking home.

"Hey, Ulquiorra…" Orihime suddenly said.

"Yes, onna?" he replied.

"Do you think you can train me? I want to get stronger…"

"…"

"Please?"

Ulquiorra suddenly stopped and stared at Orihime. "Onna, I am fully aware that something is wrong with you. Spit it out."

"Nothing is wrong with me!"

"Why do you suddenly wish to become strong then after two days of slumber? Stop lying to me."

"Stop telling me what to do! I already told you that I don't know anything! Why is it so wrong to want to become stronger!? After you joined Aizen for strength, I thought that you would understand!" Orihime cried out, but regretting it after.

"Onna, I joined Aizen because I had nothing else to do. I know you are lying to me, and I will find out what is going on."

Orihime grabbed his hands and said, "I promise you, nothing is wrong. I am just stressed because I was asleep for two days, but I swear to you that I don't know how or why. Please, I just want to get stronger… But you don't have to train me if you don't want to." Tears swelled up in her eyes.

"…Fine, I will train you, onna. We will start tomorrow."

Orihime smiled at him.

"_God has offered me somebody to love and I am not letting him be taken away from me __again."_

**Author's Note: **"Don't go easy on me, Ulquiorra!" she said. "Trust me, onna, I won't," he replied. "Are you ready?" "Yes…" **There's the preview for chapter 23! See you on Wednesday!**


	23. Chapter 23: Training

**Author's Note: While re-reading this, I've realized that this chapter is pretty useless haha. Sorry! Thanks to GirlAkatsuki, Katte Turner, Cupcake0604 (Guest), and KizzoftheDead for ALWAYS reviewing! It's amazing!**

Chapter 23: Training

Orihime woke up that morning feeling nervous. She was going to train with Ulquiorra, the espada that shows no mercy, even towards her. She wondered if she would even live to see the next dream.

"Onna, are you ready?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Yeah, let's go!" Orihime replied, giving him a bright smile.

"Why are you so cheerful when we are going to train? Do you think that I will show you mercy and go easy on you? How foolish."

"Huh? I thought we were training after school!"

"No. We are training now."

"What about school?"

"You were serious about training yesterday, so we are going to skip school and train now."

"Oh, okay."

The two walked to Kisuke's shop and greeted Kisuke, Yoruichi, and Tessai.

"You two are going to train now?" Kisuke asked.

"Yes, if that's alright with you," Orihime answered.

"Go right ahead!"

"Hey, Schiffer, you better take it easy on her," Yoruichi demanded.

"You are a foolish woman. I will not take it easy on her, nor will I show her mercy. This is how she will get stronger, and you are insulting her by implying that I need to." Ulquiorra said, taking Orihime's hand and leading her to the underground training facility.

"He's such an ass!" Yoruichi said once the two were gone.

"Well, at least he's training her to become stronger. He seems to be good for something." Tessai said.

"Let's hope he doesn't push her too hard, though," Kisuke said.

* * *

Orihime and Ulquiorra stood a few feet from each other, preparing to spar after Ulquiorra removed his gigai and pulled out Murcielago.

"Don't go easy on me, Ulquiorra!" she said.

"Trust me, onna, I won't," he replied. "Are you ready?"

"Yes…"

"Here I come."

Ulquiorra leapt towards Orihime with Murcielago in his hand and fiercely swung at her, showing no hesitation.

"Santen Kesshun!" Orihime cried out, putting her hands in front of her to create a shield.

Ulquiorra's attack hit the shield, causing it to break. He swung once more, but when his sword was about to slice her, he drew back.

"You need to think of a better way to defend yourself," he said. "Try again."

"Yes!"

This time, Ulquiorra attacked from behind her.

Orihime dodged the attack and cried out, "Koten Zanshun!"

Tsubaki flew fast, but Ulquiorra was faster. He easily dodged and counterattacked. He ran to Orihime, preparing to attack her, but she suddenly smirked at him. Ulquiorra felt a shallow cut in his back and he stopped running. Tsubaki had purposely let Ulquiorra dodge so that he could attack him from behind.

"Interesting…" he said. "I can tell you hesitated when you attacked me. Do not show hesitation, onna."

"Sorry… It doesn't feel right attacking you."

"Onna, I have high speed regeneration, your attacks won't kill me."

"That doesn't mean I enjoy hurting you."

"I'll be fine. If you want to get stronger, you can't show such hesitation. Attack with all of your strength."

"Okay."

Ulquiorra launched himself towards the girl.

"Koten Zanshun!"

"Your attack won't work again," he said, simply dodging and tackling Orihime.

He was sitting on top of her and she was panting.

"You have to change your strategies, onna. Do not think that your attack will always work."

"O-Okay."

Ulquiorra stared into her eyes, forgetting what they were supposed to be doing. Orihime also forgot the mission at hand and found herself lost in his gaze. He leaned in for a kiss. Their lips were smack on each other as Orihime sat herself on Ulquiorra's lap. She wrapped her legs around his waist as they heavily made out. He enjoyed running his hands through her hair, as she did his.

Orihime backed out of the kiss and said, "We uhh… We have to train."

Ulquiorra, looking annoyed, agreed and stood up.

Ulquiorra charged at Orihime.

"Shiten Koshun!" the girl yelled, placing her hands out in front of her again.

"_Shiten Koshun? What type of shield is that? I've never heard of it before. Maybe it is just stronger than her Santen Kesshun."_ Ulquiorra thought as he charged her.

His attack hit the girl's shield and he thought he was going to triumph, but Tsubaki came out of the shield, cutting Ulquiorra in the stomach.

"Shiten Koshun is something I learned after the war," Orihime informed Ulquiorra. "It looks like a Santen Kesshun, but Tsubaki is placed in the back. When the shield is struck, it returns the attack as a concentrated explosion."

"Your abilities never cease to interest me."

Orihime giggled and said, "Soten Kisshun." A bright shield surrounded Ulquiorra as Shuno and Ayame healed his wounds. "I think that's enough for now. Thanks for training with me, Ulquiorra."

Ulquiorra dipped his head and as soon as the two fairies were done healing him, Orihime placed her hand on her hair clip to thank her Shun Shun Rikka. They then went back upstairs and saw Kisuke, Yoruichi, Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu eating dinner.

"You two are finally done?" Kisuke asked, smiling at them.

"Yes, thank you for letting us train here!" Orihime answered.

"You can use it anytime you want! How was your training?"

"It was good! I think I got at least a little stronger out of it!"

"So, Inoue, what was your favorite part of your training?" Yoruichi asked, smirking at the girl.

"Huh? Uhh, probably showing Ulquiorra my Shiten Koshun."

"Really? Wow, I figured it would be the part when you were sitting on his lap and making out with him!" the tanned woman said, as she started laughing.

Orihime blushed and covered her face. Ulquiorra stood, stoic as ever.

"You two, come eat," Tessai demanded. "There is plenty of food for the two of you."

"Oh, okay! Thank you for the meal!" Orihime said.

Halfway through their meal, Kisuke looked at Orihime and asked, "So Inoue-san, have you found anything out about why you were sleeping for two days?"

Orihime swallowed her food and she answered, "No, I haven't. Sorry…"

"I can run some tests, if you want. They won't hurt and they aren't dangerous."

"Oh, no! That's fine-"

"That sounds wise." Ulquiorra said.

"I'll let you two discuss this-"

"No. I mean, no thank you. It's my problem, not yours. Honestly, nothing is fine. _Please_ stop worrying about this. It was just a long sleep because I was exhausted. I'm fine." Orihime said, getting up and leaving the shop.

"_Lying about this is getting harder and harder…"_

**Author's Note: **Orihime was once again stuck in the dark realms of her dreams that were being controlled by two different people. **Yes, you hear from them again in the next chapter! See you on Monday (If I have internet connection)!**


	24. Chapter 24: Plans Being Made

Chapter 24: Plans Being Made

"Hey, princess. Good to see you."

Orihime was once again stuck in the dark realms of her dreams that were being controlled by two different people. She has found out that one is a female and the other is a male, and that they both argue a lot.

"We don't have time for warm greetings, idiot. We already got scolded for taking two days last time," the female voice said.

"A-Are you going to tell me what you need me to do now?" Orihime asked, standing up from her fetal position.

"Yes. Are you ready to listen to our demands?"

"Ulquiorra won't get hurt, right?"

"That is the deal."

"…Then yes."

"Two weeks."

"Huh?"

"Our plan will commence in two weeks. Until then, we still need you to pretend that everything is alright. Has anybody questioned you lately?"

"Yes, but I managed to convince them…"

"Good. Orihime, there is going to be a total war. Much blood will be shed, and if you keep listening to us, none of it will be yours. I noticed that you have gotten a little stronger since a few days ago."

"War with who?"

"The answer to that will be revealed some other time. Today we will tell you your role in this war. You, Orihime, are going to basically be our spy."

"Spy?"

"Yes. We need you to listen to the enemies' plans and make sure that they are unaware of our existence and our plans."

"You can do that, right?" the male voice asked. "You are also going to have to use your Santen Kesshun to protect us and your Soten Kisshun to heal us if we get injured. Hell, if you keep training, you could even fight with us! Hey, it's time to go. Have a great day at school, princess!"

"Wait! What are your names?"

"I told you last time, it doesn't matter-"

"Mia," the female voice said. "My name is Mia. This idiot's name is Lyon."

"Hey, Mia! Why did you tell her!?"

"It's like you said, she could be fighting with us. She is now on _our_ side, so she might as well know our names. I see no harm in it. Besides, we already control her. Goodbye, Orihime."

Orihime bolted up in bed, her fiery hair flying in front of her face.

"_Two weeks… Two weeks until the war… Just who is the enemy, anyways?"_

Orihime got up to get ready for school.

_"Act natural, Orihime. If you don't, they'll kill him."_

She met Ulquiorra downstairs and they headed to school.

"_You aren't going to let them kill him."_

When the couple arrived at school, a brilliant idea popped into the orange haired girl's head.

"Hey, Ulquiorra, I have to check out a book really quick! You go ahead to the classroom, I'll be there soon!" she said.

"I can go with you, onna," the dark haired man replied.

"No, no. I can go by myself! Thank you though!"

Orihime kissed Ulquiorra on the cheek and scurried to the library. Ulquiorra watched the girl before turning around to continue walking to the classroom.

"_As I recall, they said their names were Mia and Lyon… They sounded somewhere around my age, maybe they went to this school,"_ the girl thought as she approached the library.

Luckily, nobody else was inside the library. Orihime went to the yearbooks and picked up the most recent issue.

"_…They didn't give me a last name… I guess I'm going to have to look through every picture… This could take me hours! I hope Ulquiorra doesn't get suspicious if I don't go to class."_

The girl then started flipping through pages and pages of pictures, carefully analyzing each of the names below them.

* * *

"Are you sure something's wrong with her?" Ichigo asked.

Ichigo, Rukia, Sado, Uryu, and Ulquiorra were standing behind the school during lunch. When Orihime didn't return to class, Ulquiorra decided to confide in them.

"Yes, trash." Ulquiorra answered.

"It's true she hasn't been as cheerful as she usually is," Uryu added.

"Ever since the onna woke up from her coma, something has been bothering her. She even asked me to train her."

"Train?" Rukia asked. "Why would she suddenly want to train? Ichigo and I have been handling most of the hollows, there's no reason for her to be training."

"Exactly."

"Do you think that there's a new enemy that has their eyes on her?" Sado asked, finally joining the conversation.

"But what would the coma have to do with an enemy?" Uryu asked.

"Maybe somebody put her into a coma…" Rukia stated. "Somebody could have attacked her and she slipped into a mild coma. That would explain the coma and the training."

"But who would have attacked her?" Ichigo asked.

The five of them stood in silence as they thought of who might have wanted to hurt Orihime.

"Well," Ichigo started after he gave up on thinking about it, "we'll find out who it was eventually, but for now, let's just protect her and make sure that nothing harms her. Since she's trying to keep it a secret from us, I think it would be best not to tell her any of this."

The five agreed to keep their plans a secret and they headed back to class.

* * *

"Mia and Lyon Horikawa, I finally found you."

**Author's Note: Short chapter, sorry! Preview time! **The two did not notice that they were being intently watched. They weren't being watched by Ichigo, Rukia, Uryu, or not even Sado. **Who do you think is watching them and why? :D Tell me who you think it is and what you think is going to happen next! :D See you on Wednesday! **


	25. Chapter 25: Lies, Lies, Lies

Chapter 25: Lies, Lies, Lies

"_Two weeks… I only have two weeks to prevent a war. A war in which I know practically nothing about," _Orihime thought, walking back to class. "_Okay, Orihime, let's review everything we found out. My dreams from a month ago about Ulquiorra were being controlled by Mia and Lyon. The leader of their group is the one that brought Ulquiorra back to life and can easily take it back. I'm going to be a spy in the war."_

Orihime stopped walking and she mumbled, "This doesn't get me anywhere. None of this makes sense…"

"What doesn't make sense, Orihime?"

Orihime turned around and saw her best friend, Tatsuki.

"T-Tatsuki! You scared me!"

"Sorry about that. Anyways, what were you talking about?"

"Huh?"

"You said something doesn't make sense."

"O-Oh. That was nothing! I was just talking about the homework assignment!"

Tatsuki stared at the orange haired girl with suspicion as she said, "But Orihime, you weren't in class… How would you know the homework assignment?"

"I uhh… We better get to class, Tatsuki! We don't want to be late!"

Orihime grabbed Tatsuki's hand and started to pull her along to the classroom with her.

"_I made Tatsuki suspicious. Now things are going to get even harder…"_

The two then walked into the classroom. Orihime expected to see Ulquiorra question her as to why she wasn't in the classroom and why she was in the library, but much to her surprise, the hollow simply glanced at her and returned his eyes to his book. Little did she know that Ichigo, Rukia, Uryu, and Sado had their eyes on her.

"Hey, Ulquiorra! I accidentally fell asleep in the library! What did you do in class?" Orihime asked as she walked up to her boyfriend.

"It is just like you to fall asleep while reading. The instructor talked about useless things and they wrote some notes." Ulquiorra answered. He knew full well Orihime did not fall asleep in the library, but since she decided she was going to play dumb, he would play along.

"Ulquiorra, you have to write notes down too, silly!"

"No. They are useless."

The two did not notice that they were being intently watched. They weren't being watched by Ichigo, Rukia, Uryu, or not even Sado. Instead, it was Tatsuki's gaze that was on the couple. Her face was more serious than usual as she sat at her desk.

"ORIHIME!" Chizuru cried out, hugging the girl.

"Chizuru-chan, you always surprise me," the poor girl said.

"Where were you doing lunch and in class!? I was so scared that some guy kidnapped my beautiful Orihime!"

"Oh, it was nothing! I fell asleep in the library. Sorry!"

The two girls continued their conversation at Ulquiorra's desk- much to his displeasure- until the teacher came in and told everybody that it was time to start the lesson again.

"Inoue-san, you are back," the teacher started, "why weren't you in my class earlier?"

"I fell asleep in the library. Sorry!"

The teacher sighed and she said, "It's alright. Don't do it again though."

The teacher began her lesson and Orihime went back into thinking mode.

"_At least I was able to convince everybody,"_ she thought. "_I even managed to convince Ulquiorra! So, Mia and Lyon Horikawa… I figured out their last name and that they used to go to this school, but now what? This doesn't give me much."_

* * *

Eventually, the bell rang, indicating that school was over. Ulquiorra and Orihime began to walk home. Orihime felt nervous. She hasn't been too successful at dismissing Ulquiorra's doubt about her mild coma.

"So, Ulquiorra, uhh…"

"What is it, onna?"

"Are we uhh… Are we okay?"

Ulquiorra stopped to look at Orihime in the face. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, ever since I woke up, things have been a little tense and awkward between us… I was just wondering if we were okay…"

"We are just fine, onna. My sincerest apologies for making you worry."

Orihime blushed. "I'm the one who made you worry, silly."

"The worry has already left my mind," he lied. There was something wrong with her and he was determined to find out.

The two continued their walk home, hand in hand, and in blissful peace. The two were completely unaware of the girl following them. The karate loving girl, Tatsuki, to be exact. Something about her was different, though. Her face was grim. Suddenly, she turned around and started to walk the other direction. An hour of walking past until she came across a huge, abandoned building. The girl glanced around her surroundings to make sure that nobody saw her. Then, she entered.

"Hey, how was it?" a voice asked.

There were nine people inside the building, including herself.

"It was another long school day, Lyon," she replied.

Lyon chucked. "Man, I really hated school."

"We all did. Anyways, here's what I found today. Orihime wasn't in class today. She claims she fell asleep in the library, but I'm calling major bull shit on that one. She was doing something, but I wasn't able to follow her inside. Ulquiorra was suspicious of her, but said he isn't anymore."

"Interesting…" a deep voice said.

"Master," everybody else said.

"Keep an eye on her," the master instructed, walking away. "Our plans will commence soon. Don't let that girl out of your sights.

"Yes, master."

"I wonder what Orihime was doing in the library," Mia said, walking with Lyon.

"Who knows, but she better stop or she'll get in some deep shit," Lyon replied.

"Should we tell her that, tonight?"

"Sure."

Tatsuki exited the abandoned building and began to walk home.

"_Inoue, Orihime… Guess I'm stuck watching you for a while."_

**Author's Note: Oooh what's wrong with Tatsuki!? Well, Orihime is going to try to find out, as you see in this preview: **What Ulquiorra didn't know, is that what the girl meant when she said she was "hanging out with Tatsuki" was that she was really going to follow her. **Send predictions of what you think is going to happen and what you think is wrong with Tatsuki! :D**


	26. Chapter 26: Watching

**Author's Note: I loved reading your thoughts on Tatsuki! Anyways, enjoy the new chapter!**

Chapter 26: Watching

"Hello once again, princess!" Lyon shouted.

For the third time, Orihime was back in her dream world being controlled by Lyon and Mia. She had gotten used to the darkness. She had also gotten used to the madness that used to consume her. Her fear of this place was gone. All that was left was her resolve, her resolve to save her loved one.

"Hello, Lyon," she greeted, sitting up.

"We heard about your boy-toy being suspicious about you. We also heard that you managed to convince him that everything was alright. Good job, princess!"

Orihime smiled. Maybe it was the madness, but she had grown used to Lyon calling her princess. She has grown to somewhat enjoy it.

"Yes, Orihime, that was good," Mia started, "but we also heard you were researching something by yourself in the library. Care to explain?"

"Sorry, Mia… I just got curious because you two wouldn't tell me anything about the war so I started researching myself."

"What did you find?"

"Nothing. So do you think you can tell me about it now?"

"Orihime, we've asked if we were allowed to tell you since you are on our side now… But the master is going to test your loyalty the day our plan commences."

"Sorry, princess. I really wanted to fill you in, too." Lyon said.

"What do you mean he's going to test my loyalty?"

"We don't know. The old man's kind of secretive."

"Look, Orihime, the point of this dream was to tell you that you have to stop researching. It makes the others suspicious of you." Mia said.

"Alright, sorry you guys."

"Have a nice day at school, princess!" Lyon said.

Orihime woke up from her controlled dream. This time, though, she didn't jolt up. The dreams were getting less intense and less frightening. Lyon and Mia have become kinder towards her, so they didn't hurt her as much. The orange haired girl put her uniform on, brushed her hair and teeth, and went downstairs to greet Ulquiorra. She had gotten used to always finding the espada being finished before her.

"Are you ready?" Orihime asked, smiling gently at him.

"Of course, onna. You are the one that takes too long," he answered.

Orihime giggled and the two headed outside of the apartment. The two walked to school, Orihime talking about random things while holding Ulquiorra's hand. The hollow pretended to listen, but stopped after he sensed a particular presence. He suddenly stopped in his tracks, slightly alarming the girl next to him. Glancing around their surroundings, the espada quickly realized somebody was watching them from behind a near building.

"…Ulquiorra?" Orihime asked, starting to worry.

"Onna, it appears we are being watched. Stay here, I'll handle them," he assured, preparing to take his gigai off and take Murcielago out.

"Who is it?"

"I don't know. I will dispose of them."

He approached the building. As he was about to round the corner to find out who was watching them, they decided to step out, instead. Ulquiorra stopped pursuing his prey once he realized who it was. It was none other than his girlfriend's best friend: Tatsuki.

"What are you doing, trash?" the green eyed hollow asked, narrowing his eyes at her, curious as to why she was following them.

"Move it, Schiffer," she replied, walking past him and towards Orihime. "I was just trying to walk with Orihime to school."

Ulquiorra watched Tatsuki walk to Orihime. The orange haired girl kindly greeted her, relieved that it wasn't an enemy or some creepy boy in her school.

"_Something is not right…" _Ulquiorra thought, staring at the karate-loving girl. "_Although she is able to see things she should not be able to see, there is no reason as to why her spiritual pressure was sensible… I have never sensed it before, so why do I now?"_ He dismissed these thoughts and walked up to the girls.

"Good morning, Tatsuki!" Orihime greeted with a bright smile.

"Hey," Tatsuki blandly replied.

Orihime frowned. Usually there would be a more enthusiastic reply from her best friend. Ulquiorra simply stared at her. Now, he couldn't help but doubt the girl. The three then walked to school together. It was an awkward walk, due to the fact that both Tatsuki and Ulquiorra were acting differently. Orihime sighed. She was aware that these two didn't get along well, but she had always thought that deep down they considered themselves to be friends. Apparently, she was wrong.

"Is something wrong, Orihime?" Tatsuki asked.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing!" the cheery girl answered.

"Tell me if something is bothering you, Orihime."

"But it's really nothing…"

Tatsuki narrowed her eyes at the girl before turning her head to face forward once more.

"_What was that?"_ Orihime thought, still staring at Tatsuki.

The three entered the classroom and walked to their seats. Well, Orihime and Ulquiorra went to their seats and Tatsuki followed them. She sat down on the other side of Orihime.

"Tatsuki, why are you sitting back here?" the orange haired girl asked. "The teacher is going to yell at you!"

"I don't care. She can rot in hell for all I care," the girl with spiky black hair replied.

"T-Tatsuki?"

"Alright class, it's time for- Tatsuki, can you please move back to your seat?" the teacher asked.

"I don't feel like it."

"Excuse me?"

"Tatsuki, please just move back…" Orihime pleaded. She was definitely worried about her best friend. What was going on with her?

"Fine," she said, getting her stuff and moving to her original seat.

"Okay then…" the teacher began, "Let's start our lesson now."

As the lesson started, Orihime couldn't help but wonder why Tatsuki was acting differently. "_This can't be Tatsuki…" _she thought. "_Why is she acting so… bitter?"_

* * *

Lunch time eventually came and Ulquiorra headed towards the roof with Ichigo and the others while Orihime stayed in the classroom to eat with Tatsuki and the other girls.

"So, did you find anything out yet?" Ichigo asked.

They were all sitting in a circle.

"No," Ulquiorra answered. "But I am suspicious of her best friend."

"Tatsuki?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"She has been acting strange."

"That's true," Rukia said, "remember the scene in the class?"

"Tatsuki is fine; she's probably just a little stressed. Let's not jump to conclusions and say that she did something to Orihime." Ichigo replied.

* * *

"Hey, Ulquiorra! I'm going to hang out with Tatsuki for a while, you can head home!" Orihime said once the bell rang, indicating school was over.

"Alright." He did not want to leave Orihime alone with her, but knew that if he asked her to stay away from her best friend, it would be to no avail.

What Ulquiorra didn't know, is that what the girl meant when she said she was "hanging out with Tatsuki" was that she was really going to follow her.

"_I have to find out what's wrong with her."_

Surprisingly, she did a good job of following her without being caught. The girl would run behind trees, duck behind benches, anything that would keep her hidden. Eventually, she saw Tatsuki approach an abandoned building.

"_Why is Tatsuki going in there?"_ she wondered.

After Tatsuki entered the building, Orihime followed. Without being able to follow Tatsuki anymore, Orihime stepped out from hiding and approached the girl. Tatsuki turned around with wide eyes and stared at the girl.

"O-Orihime! What are you-"

"Who are you?" Orihime asked, fierce determination showing in her eyes. She was sure that this was not her best friend.

"What are you talking about, Orihime?"

"I know you aren't Tatsuki. So who are you?"

"Hey, Naoki, is that you?" a voice rang out.

"_…Is that… Lyon?" _Orihime wondered, for the voice sounded so familiar. "_Naoki? So this really isn't Tatsuki!"_

Just as she predicting, Lyon appeared, surprised once he saw her.

"P-Princess!?" he said.

"Lyon…"

This was the first time Orihime has seen Lyon. He was a tall boy- probably around the same height as Ichigo. Lyon also had spiky hair, but not orange like Ichigo's. His hair was more of a pastel green. It was an odd color. The boy wore baggy clothes and had a grey beanie on. This made Orihime wonder about what Mia looks like.

"What are you doing here!?"

"Trying to figure out who is pretending to be Tatsuki… What are you doing? Why are you two…?"

Lyon turned his head towards the imposter. "Might as well tell her now."

"Fine," Tatsuki said. She stared at Orihime, and then her body started _shifting._ The body was transforming into another figure- a male one. Finally, it stopped, and Orihime was left staring at a teenage boy, looking the same age as Lyon and herself. He had a light shade of purple colored hair, and pale purple eyes. Orihime was definitely surprised. "Hey, Orihime. Sorry, but I'm not Tatsuki, my name is Naoki. I was sent to pretend to be your best friend."

"Wait, if you aren't Tatsuki, then…"

Suddenly, a piercing shriek rang through the building. The orange haired girl instantly recognized the voice and realized it was her best friend. A girl with blonde pigtails came in, dragging a bloodied and bruised Tatsuki.

"Tatsuki!" Orihime cried out, rushing towards her friend, tears quickly swelling in her eyes.

"Sorry, no can do. You see, we took her so that we can have more leverage on you. Instead of just one person you love being threatened, we now have _two._ It wouldn't make sense to just give her back, now would it?" Naoki rhetorically asked while blocking the panicked girl.

The girl with the blonde pigtails yanked Tatsuki's head up by pulling her hair. With what Orihime just noticed to be claws, she held one up to her neck and said, "You'll get her back after you've done what we want." She lightly cut the girl's throat, making a light drizzle of blood ooze out.

Orihime was sobbing and she glanced to see Lyon. His head was hung low, seeming to be disappointed to have caused her pain. She looked back at the girl holding her best friend and said with smoldering anger in her eyes, "You have chosen the wrong person to hurt."

**Author's Note: Oh, snap, Orihime is getting serious.** "Tatsuki… I am so sorry." Orihime said between pants and sobs, staggering. **I like reading your predictions, so you guys should send more! :) Review if you want! :D**


	27. Chapter 27: I'm Sorry

Chapter 27: I'm Sorry

It was dark in Karakura Town. The stars and the moon were the only source of light outside. There was a light breeze, stirring leaves on the sidewalk and causing the multi-colored swings at a park to sway. A light shower of rain caused the road to be wet, small puddles forming in the dents of pavement. Almost everyone was inside, enjoying hot tea and relaxing with their families. _Almost_ everyone. A distraught, bruised orange haired teenage girl carrying a spiky haired, bloodied teenage girl on her back was roaming the streets. Tears would not stop falling from the girl's eyes while she mumbled the same words over and over again: "I'm sorry."

_FLASHBACK_

She looked back at the girl holding her best friend and said with smoldering anger in her eyes, "You have chosen the wrong person to hurt."

The blonde girl started laughing maniacally, but her laughing ceased after a sharp blow to the arm. Orihime had sent Tsubaki to attack and her arm was gushing with blood. The red liquid was dripping down her arm. The girl with pigtails looked up at Orihime, fierce anger in her pink eyes.

"You have hurt my best friend," Orihime began, "I will never forgive you for that. I will make you pay."

"Is that right? Hate to break it to you darling, but your offensive abilities aren't so great, while mine…" the blonde girl held her claws up, "well mine are."

"Yui! Stop!" Lyon cried out.

But it was too late. Yui was already lunging herself towards Orihime, her claws ready to slice.

"Santen Kesshun!" Orihime said, placing her hands in front of her, creating a golden shield.

"Do you really think that's going to work!?"  
Yui swung her claws on the girl's shield, causing sparks to fly, but the shield would not break. Orihime's will was too strong at this point. Her best friend was injured; there was no way she was going to lose this fight.

Pointing a finger at Yui, Orihime said with determination in her eyes, "Koten Zanshun."

Tsubaki once again flew at the girl with pigtails, but this time it was much faster. He sliced the girl's stomach, causing her to shout in pain.

"You bitch!"

She once again tried to attack Orihime.

"Shiten Koshun!"

Another blow was added to Yui's arm. She stood herself up, and suddenly her spiritual pressure spiked, causing Orihime to step back. Just then, Yui appeared behind her and threw her to the floor. Orihime's head hit the stone floor and she thought she was going to pass out, but she pushed herself to keep trying, but as she tried to stand back up, Yui appeared at her side, kicking her. She was sent into the wall, creating a crater and spitting out blood.

"Stop, Yui, that's enough!" Lyon said, grabbing one of the girl's arms while Naoki grabbed the other.

Orihime stood up, still coughing out blood. She glared at the girl, that is, until she fell back down, losing consciousness. Yui did the same.

Once Orihime woke up, she found Lyon sitting by her.

"Lyon…"

"Hey, princess… I'm sorry about Yui, and for us taking your best friend… But we talked to the old man and he said you can bring her home! That's good, right? Oh, he also told me to tell you to heal yourself. He still doesn't want anybody suspicious, okay?"

Orihime sat up, not even glancing at Lyon. This made the boy feel awkward.

"Where is she?" she asked in a barely audible voice.

"Huh? Oh, she's over here," he answered, pointing at a little mattress on the floor.

Orihime slowly got up, wincing in pain, and walked to her best friend.

"Oh, Orihime," Lyon began, "we are going to need you to act as if nothing ever happened again. Convince her, too."

Orihime picked her up, and silently left the abandoned building, leaving a sad Lyon.

_END OF FLASHBACK_

"Tatsuki… I am so sorry." Orihime said between pants and sobs, staggering. Tatsuki may be skinny, but carrying her for miles became hard for Orihime. "I can't believe… I dragged you into this! I wasn't even strong enough to get revenge!"

She felt her legs feel as if they were going to lose hold, but she pushed on. She had already healed Tatsuki's wounds; all that was left was taking her home and healing her own.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

Her hair was drenched with rain while her face was drenched in both tears and rain.

"I'm so sorry… I'm sorry… I really didn't mean for any of this to happen… Tatsuki… I'm so sorry!"

The girl finally reached Tatsuki's house. Luckily, nobody was home, and Orihime knew where they hid the spare key. She grabbed the key and carried the unconscious girl to her bed. Once she lied the girl down, she sank onto the floor beside her, burying her face in her hands and sobbing all the remaining tears she had.

"I'm sorry, Tatsuki!"

An hour passed, and Orihime decided it was time to go home. She knew Ulquiorra would be worried for her if she didn't return soon.

"_I better heal myself…"_

"Soten Kisshun."

Her wounds slowly started disappearing, but her sadness wouldn't. Once they were completely healed, she left.

* * *

"Onna, what took you so long?" Ulquiorra asked once he heard the door open.

"Sorry, we got caught up," she answered, forcing a smile.

"Did you eat?"

"Yes. I'm going to go take a bath. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, onna."

Orihime turned the hot water on and got in the bath. She stayed in the water until her fingertips resembled raisins. Afterwards, she put her fuzzy pajamas on and lied in bed. Unable to get the situation that just happened out of her mind, tears once again slid down her cheeks. She pulled up the covers to cover herself as she rolled into a ball. The girl stayed awake for hours until the crying caused her to fall asleep. Sadness enveloped the girl, and it refused to let her go.

**Author's Note: I really like that last line haha.** She blushed madly, looking into his eyes, for he was right on top of her. **Next chapter is a break from the seriousness and is pretty cute! Please review! :)**


	28. Chapter 28

**Author's Note: I feel like I haven't talked to you guys in forever! D:**

Chapter 28: You Make Me Happy When Skies Are Gray

"Captain Kurosutchi, have you found anything in the hollow's dreams yet?" Yamamoto asked.

All of the captains were in the meeting area, lined in two rows. They stood with pride, wearing the white robes that classified them as captains.

"No, in fact, it was the complete opposite," Mayuri replied.

"What do you mean?"

"The espada hasn't had any dreams. We get a complete black screen when we hook it up to the monitor in the lab."

"How do you know that he is having dreams but your drug isn't working?" Shinji asked.

"Well, ignoramus, I have tested my drug a countless number of times. They have all worked. Just not on him because he's not having any dreams."

"Maybe we should have just given the drug to Orihime-chan instead," Shinji said.

"Either way, keep watching his dreams," Yamamoto instructed, "we don't want to risk anything."

"Yes, Head Captain."

* * *

"Onna, wake up. We have to go buy groceries." Ulquiorra said outside of her room.

"Okay!" Orihime replied in a cheerful manner.

It had been a few days since the incident between Orihime and Tatsuki. Things were hard to patch up between them, and many questions were asked, but they managed to somewhat save their bond.

_FLASHBACK_

Orihime woke up completely _terrified._ She was about to see her best friend after she caused her to get kidnapped and beaten up badly. She knew that the girl would have questions for her, she was just unsure as to whether or not she would be able to answer them.

"_Now or never, Orihime_," she thought to herself while getting ready.

Somehow she has been able to hide the whole incident from Ulquiorra.

"_I hope she doesn't hate me… But I wouldn't blame her if she did…"_

The couple walked to school. Entering the classroom, Orihime saw that Tatsuki wasn't there yet. She sighed in relief. Until, that is, she heard a familiar voice call her name. The orange haired girl turned around, and sure enough, her best friend looked at her with an expression mixed with confusion, seriousness, and pain. It _killed_ Orihime to see Tatsuki look like this. The two girls went to go talk in private- much to Ulquiorra's disapproval since he still had doubts about Tatsuki.

"Orihime, what exactly happened these past few days?" the black belt asked.

"You were kidnapped…" Orihime answered.

"W-Why?"

The girl had to think of a believable lie.

"These girls that don't like me and wanted to take everyone that I love away from me, so they took you… I'm so sorry, Tatsuki! I really didn't want you to be brought into this! Please forgive-"

"It's not your fault, Orihime! Don't worry!" Tatsuki said, flashing a smile. "I just can't believe I let a couple of high school bitches kidnap me and beat me up! I have to train more!"

The two laughed, but Orihime couldn't help but feel guilty. She hoped that this feeling would go away.

_END OF FLASHBBACK_

It had been a few days, and yes, the feeling had subsided a little, but hasn't disappeared completely. Orihime doubted it would ever vanish. It was now Saturday and the couple was going to buy some groceries. Normally, Orihime would buy them herself, but Ulquiorra decided to go to make sure that nobody hurt Orihime- and to make sure that she didn't buy such weird ingredients.

"Ulquiorra, we need more wasabi!" Orihime announced, "Can you get some for me?"

"If you wish, onna. If you would stop putting it on everything you eat, you wouldn't run out so fast though." Ulquiorra said.

While Ulquiorra was gone, Orihime felt something lightly tap her heel. She looked down to see an apple has rolled into her. Looking up to see what caused the apple to fall, she saw Mia and Lyon looking at her.

This was the first time Orihime has seen Mia. She was the same height as Lyon and she wore a black tank top with a pink heart across her chest and some black jeans. Her hair was very long and was pastel pink. Her eyes were grey, just like Lyon's. Orihime had imagined the two to look different, but she enjoyed the vibrant colors of their hair.

"Mia… Lyon…" she said, picking the apple up, dusting it off, and placing it back onto the cart.

"Hello, Orihime. Look, we've given you a few days to recuperate for any damage done to you and your friend, can you just forgive us already?" Mia asked, placing her hands on her hips while Lyon stood awkwardly, looking at the floor.

"If you had done your research on me, you would've figured out that I don't forgive people that hurt my friends," Orihime replied.

"Sorry dear, but you're going to have to. Remember 12 days ago? Your dream?"

Orihime's eyes widened.

"_The war… I was too busy with everything else going on that I forgot about it…"_

"Orihime, we are _really_ sorry about taking Tatsuki or whatever, but orders are orders. It had to be done. Please forgive us!"

Orihime transitioned her gaze between the two before saying, "I'll try… Is that all you wanted? Ulquiorra is with me right now…"

"Oh, well then we'll just come back later tonight."

"Tonight?"

"In your dreams, dummy."

The two siblings walked away.

"_The war is in two days," _Orihime thought, "_and I still don't know anything about it."_

"Onna."

The girl turned around to see Ulquiorra being dragged by the store manager.

"Ul-Ulquiorra!?"

"It seems this trash is going to kick me out. You'll have to do the rest of the shopping. I'll wait for you outside."

Orihime giggled. He is the only one that has been able to make her laugh in the past month, and she loved him for that.

"_Well, since he's not here, I guess I can buy anything I want!" _Orihime thought before scourging the racks for food.

* * *

An hour passed and Orihime finished buying the groceries. She went outside and saw Ulquiorra standing with his hands in his pockets. He looked at her and immediately took the bags from her. Looking inside the bags, disappointment spread across his face.

"Onna, most of what you bought was wasabi and honey," he said.

"You weren't there, so I had to shop on my own!" she replied, poking him on the chest. "By the way, why were you kicked out?"

"I was trying to get your wasabi and it wasn't on the rack. I asked that trash where it was and he said that they were all out. I was well aware that he was lying though, onna, so I retaliated against him."

Orihime burst into laughter.

"What is so funny, onna?"

"I can't believe you got in trouble over wasabi!"

* * *

When the couple got home, Ulquiorra decided to make dinner with the ingredients they had just bought. When he was finished, he placed it on the table for them to eat. Orihime sat with a weird look on her face. Ulquiorra understood what it meant: she thought the food was bland. So, he got the wasabi and honey they just bought and handed it to her. Her face was instantly graced with a bright smile.

Orihime inhaled her food with a sickening speed. Ulquiorra watched, used to the bewildering sight among him. When they were done eating, they got into their pajamas and brushed their teeth- Orihime using the bathroom by her room while Ulquiorra used the bathroom by the living room. When that was finished, Orihime went downstairs to say goodnight to Ulquiorra. He was waiting on the couch for her. She sat next to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Ulqui-kun!" she said.

"Onna, do not call me that," he demanded.

"Why not, Ulqui-kun?"

"I will make you regret saying that if you don't stop."

"Ulqui-kun, Ulqui-kun, Ulqui-kun," Orihime said with a mischievous smile on her face.

Ulquiorra quickly, but gently, tackled her on the couch, placing a hand underneath her head while she lay. She blushed madly, looking into his eyes, for he was right on top of her. Their faces were so close; she could feel his breath on her face. He gently kissed her nose and she giggled. Orihime leaned in for a kiss, and a passionate kiss is what she received.

"I love you, Ulquiorra-kun," she said, backing out of the kiss.

"…I love you as well, onna," he replied, sitting back up, still on top of her.

She giggled and poked his stomach saying, "Alright, well, I should get to bed now. Goodnight, Ulquiorra-kun!"

"Goodnight, onna."

**Author's Note: **The two then started walking to a field. Full of flowers, the field was a great place for the young girl. Ulquiorra simply laid himself in the flowers while Orihime sat by him. He looked at her magnificent hair and then closed his eyes. **Another cute break from the seriousness! **


	29. Chapter 29: Calm Before the Storm

**Author's Note: Sorry I didn't post yesterday! That was my first time! I swear I remembered to, but I was driving to California so I didn't have any wifi! D: Anyways, here is chapter 29! I'll probably post another chapter tonight, just to make up for missing the update yesterday! ;) **

Chapter 29: Calm Before the Storm

The day was very calm, very serine. The skies were blue, the sun was out, and no clouds were in sight. Birds were chirping their beautiful melodies while kids played their adrenaline-pumping games. There was a gentle breeze, causing the smaller trees and blossomed flowers to sway side to side. Some of the petals from flowers were picked off with the wind and were beautifully scattered around the ground. Families were having picnics, laughing and enjoying their time together. Couples walked hand in hand. One of these couples was an eccentric couple; one that nobody had ever expected. It was none other than Orihime Inoue and Ulquiorra Schiffer. The two were walking by a nearby park, filled with children running around. There, the orange haired girl noticed a pair of familiar twins.

"Look!" she said, pointing a finger towards the kids. "It's Akiru-chan and Kazuki-kun!"

The espada simply glanced in their general direction before turning his head to face forward again. "Yes."

"They are so cute!"

"… If that's what you think is cute."

Orihime and Ulquiorra were taking a walk because the girl had suggested they do something fun. She was stressed; the war was starting the next day, so she figured they should enjoy the calm before the storm with the one she loved.

"Oh, Ulquiorra, look! An ice cream stand!" the girl cried out before running towards it.

Ulquiorra followed her and went up to her while she was staring at the ice cream. The small cart surprisingly had many different flavors, all of them looking delicious. Orihime had her eyes set on the strawberry.

"I will take one of the strawberry ice cream cones," Ulquiorra dully stated, handing some money to the man running the ice cream stand.

Orihime looked at him with the most cheerful smile ever seen and said, "Thank you so much, Ulquiorra!"

"No need to thank me, onna."

"Hmmm… Can I get a vanilla cone too, mister?"

"Sure, miss," the man said, handing her the strawberry cone.

"Onna, you are going to have two different ice cream cones?" Ulquiorra asked while the man handed her the vanilla cone.

"No, this one is for you!" she said, handing the hollow the already-melting ice cream cone.

"Onna, I'm not fond of sweets-"

"Eat it!"

"…Fine."

While Ulquiorra ate his ice cream- Orihime had already inhaled hers- they walked to a nearby bench. Ulquiorra noticed Orihime watching him from the corner of his eye. Well, more like eyeing his ice cream.

"Onna, stop staring. It is your fault that you ate yours too fast."

Orihime's begging face remained.

"That face will not work on me, onna."

Her face hadn't changed.

"I am an espada, you foolish onna. I was trained not to fall for such things; you are ridiculous for thinking that this will work."

It was becoming hard for Ulquiorra to ignore the looks from Orihime.

"Just one lick, onna."

Orihime smiled at him as she took the cone and started eating it. He watched her as she began to forget that he told her she was only allowed one lick. He sighed. He should have known that this was a battle he couldn't win with Orihime. She popped the last of the cone into her mouth and smiled.

"That was delicious!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, the one lick I had was rather enjoyable," he replied.

The two then started walking to a field. Full of flowers, the field was a great place for the young girl. Ulquiorra simply laid himself in the flowers while Orihime sat by him. He looked at her magnificent hair and then closed his eyes.

A few minutes passed before Orihime said, "Ulquiorra, get up! I made something!"

The boy sat up and looked at her while she scooted herself in between his legs and smiled at him.

"Close your eyes!"

He did as he was told and felt something on his head. Opening his eyes, he saw his girlfriend smiling at him brightly. He removed the thing on his head to see what it was. Examining it, he realized that it was a halo made up of small flowers.

"I made one for myself too!" Orihime said, placing her halo on and putting Ulquiorra's back onto him.

She kept her arms wrapped around him as she kept smiling at him gently. Losing herself in his gaze, she couldn't help but lean in and kiss the espada. He kissed back, placing his hands on her hips and lifting her up onto his lap. Her fingers twirled his black hair while he kept holding onto her hips. Ulquiorra felt that his hollow hole would never get used to the warmth that would come whenever they kissed and Orihime felt that she would never stop blushing.

* * *

When it got dark, the two started to walk home. The stars were beautifully twinkling in the sky along with the big, bright moon. They entered their apartment and removed their shoes.

"Okay, well, I should go to bed now." Orihime said.

"Alright, onna." Ulquiorra replied.

Orihime gave him a long, sweet goodnight kiss, turned around, and said, "I love you, Ulquiorra."

"I love you as well."

Before Orihime could reach her room, her phone vibrated in her pocket. "It's a text from Rangiku-san! It says, 'Hello, Orihime. Please come to Soul Society. Bring Schiffer with you.' I wonder what she wants."

"Are we going?"

"Of course we are! I just wonder what for since it's not time for your report yet."

* * *

"Hey, princess, it's been a while." Lyon said.

"Hello, Lyon. And hello, Mia. Why don't you let me see you during our dreams?" Orihime questioned.

The two stepped out of the darkness and walked towards Orihime.

"Sorry, I guess we just got used to it." Mia answered.

Orihime smiled at them. "So what's with this dream?"

"The war is tomorrow, princess! Of course we are going to talk to you!"

Orihime's smile faded as she was reminded of the war. She then remembered her plans to go to Soul Society the next day. "Oh! Sorry, I know this is a lot to ask, but can the war be in two days? I have to go to Soul Society tomorrow and I don't know when I'll get back!"

Mia decided to join the conversation by saying, "We cannot change the date, but rest assured, it will work even if you are in Soul Society tomorrow. Now, the real reason why we are here is to tell you the one thing that you must make sure you do tomorrow. Are you ready to hear it?" Orihime slowly and hesitantly nodded. "You must make sure to always choose us."

"Huh?"

"I can't give you any details, just make sure that if you are ever given the time to decide whose side you are on, make sure that you choose us."

"Oh… Okay…"

"Alright then, be prepared. I know you do not like fighting, but your act in this war is important, Orihime."

Orihime nodded again. As much as she hated fighting, she had no choice. If she did not do as she was told, their leader was going to kill Ulquiorra. And she wasn't going to let that happen.

"So, princess, how are things with you and your boy-toy?" Lyon asked, placing an arm around her shoulders.

"Ooh, yes, I would like to hear more about this too!" Mia said, winking at the girl.

"H-Huh? Oh, we are fine!"

"Is he a good kisser?" Mia asked, happily listening to her.

Orihime blushed and put her hands over her face. "Yes!" she squeaked.

Lyon laughed and said, "Probably not as good as me, though."

A few minutes passed of the three of them laughing together and Orihime blushing to more of their questions. It was crazy, but the three of them had become friends.

"Okay," Mia finally said, "we have to go now. Be ready for the war, Orihime. It can start at any time. Remember to choose us, always. You've had the calm…"

"…Now get ready for the storm."

**Author's Note: **They jerked their heads towards the direction of the blast and Ulquiorra instantly guarded Orihime. The girl's eyes were wide and she started to panic. The war had begun. She was now sure of it. **Ohhh snap, the war is starting in the next chapter. Be ready! **


	30. Chapter 30: It Has Begun

**Author's Note: I'm going to also upload this chapter tonight because I feel so bad for not updating yesterday! Also, thanks to everyone who reviews/favorites/follows! It means a lot!**

Chapter 30: It Has Begun

Orihime woke up anxious. She had known the war was coming for a while now, but now that it was coming that day, the nervousness started to kick in more than before. Nobody else knew of this and she wondered what would happen that fateful day. The worried girl and her boyfriend had just finished waiting for Kisuke to open a portal to Soul Society and were just about to enter. They had no idea why they were suddenly being called there, but they had no choice but to go. So, they left the World of the Living and ventured into Soul Society.

* * *

Ichigo, Rukia, Yuzu, and Karin sat on the couch watching TV. It was a warm and sunny day, a day that you would not expect anything bad to happen. But it did. While they were watching TV, they sensed a huge spike of spiritual pressure.

"Ichigo!" Rukia cried out under the pressure.

"Yeah… I feel it…" Ichigo replied, signaling Karin with his hand to take Yuzu to their room, "Let's go, Rukia!"

The couple flash-stepped until they met up with Sado and Uryu.

"What is that?" Sado asked.

"What ever it is, it's coming from is over there," Uryu answered. "Let's go."

The four of them made it to an abandoned building. They entered but found nobody there.

"It's coming from the roof!" Uryu announced.

They made it up to the roof to see five different people, seeming to be expecting them. One was a girl with blonde pigtails and bright green eyes. Another was a boy with pale purple hair. In the far right corner was a boy that looked about ten years old, sitting on the roof while coloring random swirls on a piece of paper. There was another person near the kid, but they were unable to identify if it was a boy or a girl because they were wearing a hood that casted a shadow over their face. Standing next to the girl with blonde pigtails stood another girl, much younger, also bearing the same green eyes. She also had blonde hair, but it was short and left down.

"Who are you guys?" Ichigo asked.

The girl with the blonde pigtails laughed. "Simple, darling. We are going to be the people who rip you violently apart. Limb from limb, to be exact."

"Kurosaki-kun," a voice said from behind them. The group turned around to see Kisuke, Yoruichi, Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu. "Go to Soul Society, now. I left the portal up and you should have a few minutes to make it."

"What's going on, Urahara?" Rukia asked.

"It seems that Soul Society is once again in another war. Inoue and the espada are already there. Now, go."

The group widened their eyes once they heard that Orihime was already there. How could she have known about this before them? They ran to Kisuke's shop and instantly jumped into the portal and ran to Soul Society. They had hoped that there wasn't too much chaos going on.

* * *

_15 MINUTES AGO_

Orihime and Ulquiorra had just gotten into Soul Society. Walking to the Head Captains meeting area, they heard a loud, sudden explosion. They jerked their heads towards the direction of the blast and Ulquiorra instantly guarded Orihime. The girl's eyes were wide and she started to panic. The war had begun. She was now sure of it.

"Orihime!"

Ulquiorra and Orihime turned around to see Rangiku and Toshiro run over to them.

"Rangiku-san!" Orihime cried out. "What's going on?"

"We came here to ask you that," Toshiro said.

"What is that supposed to mean, trash?" Ulquiorra questioned as he glared at the captain in front of him.

"Captain, not now. Orihime, do you know anything about this?" Rangiku asked the trembling girl.

"N-No."

More explosions and shouts were being heard. Fire was seen throughout the place and smoke was being inhaled.

"_It has begun," _Orihime thought nervously.

* * *

_PRESENT TIME_

Ichigo, Rukia, Uryu, and Sado finally entered Soul Society. Upon seeing the smoke and fire, they were instantly filled with worry and frantically searched for Orihime. After a moment of searching, they were finally able to find her- even though her hair blended in with the flames that were lit in Soul Society.

"Inoue!" Ichigo cried out while running towards the four of them.

"Kurosaki-kun! What are you doing here!?" Orihime asked.

"We heard that there is a war going on so we came to help!" he answered. "Toshiro, Rangiku, have you two found the guys invading?"

"No," Toshiro answered.

"There were some people in the World of the Living as well," Rukia informed the four, "do you think that they are involved in this as well?"

"They have to be, it can't just be a coincidence." Uryu answered.

Orihime could only listen to what they were saying. She was unable to move or speak. Until, that is, she felt somebody grab her hand. She looked up to see Ulquiorra holding her hand while also holding Murcielago. Suddenly, a shinigami came running towards them, blood dripping down the side of his face.

"Captain Hitsugaya!" he said. "We were able to count how many intruders there are!"

"How many?" the white haired boy asked.

"Four."

"_I wonder who it is," _Orihime thought to herself.

"Hey, princess."

Everybody's eyes widened even more as they heard the male voice from behind them. Orihime had already known who it was, but was shocked that he was confronting her in front of everybody. Everybody turned around to see two people- a male and a female- approaching them. The female had pastel pink hair while the male had pastel green hair. They were the same height and had grey eyes. They were none other than Mia and Lyon Horikawa.

"Who are you!?" Toshiro asked, drawing his zanpakuto.

"Relax, kid. We've done enough damage for now," Lyon said. "We just came for our friend."

"Huh? Who are you talking about?" Rukia asked. "Who are you?"

The twins chuckled. "Does it really matter? You're just going to die soon anyways-"

"Lyon and Mia Horikawa." Orihime said, startling everybody. The girl released Ulquiorra's hand and slowly lifted her head up. "You two are twins that have died about five years ago. You committed suicide because you two were constantly being bullied by the people in your school."

"I-Inoue," Uryu said, "how do you know all this?"

"I researched them."

"But how did you know to research them?"

"Orihime, Inoue," a deep voice rang out. The group looked to the side and found an older man and a teenage boy approaching them. "Let's go. We've done what we needed to do. We'll come back some other time to finish the job."

Orihime looked at him with a questioning look.

"Hey, Orihime, it's time to go," Mia instructed.

Orihime recalled her previous dream.

"_You are going to have to choose us," _she thought. "_So this is what they meant…"_

She noticed the old man looking at her expectantly. Then, she saw him glance at Ulquiorra, then back to her. She instantly got the hint. If she did not go with them, he would immediately kill the man she loved.

"Yes," she said, walking towards the group.

"I-Inoue!?" Kurosaki shouted. "What are you doing!? Why are you going with them!?"

"Isn't it obvious, spiky? She's on our side. Has been from the start."

"Arrest them," Toshiro instructed. "All of them."

This started a feud between Ichigo's group- even though they were confused about Orihime's allegiance- and Toshiro's group. Finally, Ulquiorra spoke up.

"Onna, where are you going?" he asked.

"…I'm going with them," the teary eyed girl said.

"Why?"

Orihime simply shook her head, trying to keep her tears from falling.

"Let's go," the old man demanded. "Miketsukami, do it."

The boy that had been following the old man finally stepped forward. He held his arms out and suddenly a hole formed. It was like a black hole.

"I-Is that a black hole?" Orihime asked.

"No," Miketsukami answered, "it's a shadow. Jump in."  
Miketsukami and the old man jumped in. Lyon held his hand out towards Orihime. She grabbed his hand, looked back at Ulquiorra and the others that were watching her with disbelief, and jumped into the nothingness with the twins, wondering where it would lead her and what would happen next.

**Author's Note: And we are now back to the seriousness, ladies and gentlemen. **"The real question is," he said, "whose team are you on? Are you on Inoue-san's team, or are you on Soul Society's team?" **Thank you to GirlAkatsuki for the name Miketsukami, and thank you to Katte Turner for the names Yui and Naoki! ****Well, see you soon!**


	31. Chapter 31: Our True Enemies

**Author's Note: 100 REVIEWS! I am so glad this story actually has this many reviews! Thanks! Be expecting another chapter tonight! :D**

Chapter 31: Our True Enemies

All of the captains- along with Ichigo, Rukia, Sado, Uryu, and Ulquiorra- were in the Head Captain's meeting area, one of the only few areas left in Soul Society that was unharmed. After the battle, they had all gathered there to discuss what had just happened. Toshiro had Ulquiorra handcuffed and brought with them.

"Captain Hitsugaya, report what you have seen," Yamamoto instructed.

"Yes, Head Captain." Hitsugaya said, stepping forward. "I went to find Orihime, Inoue and the espada. I asked if she knew anything about this and she claimed she didn't. Then, Kurosaki and the others showed up. Soon after that, two of the intruders- twins, I believe- came, telling Orihime, Inoue that it was time to go. She then claimed to know about the battle and went to them. Eventually, their leader and another intruder came and one of them opened a portal- which he called a shadow- and they jumped into it."

"I see. Bring the hollow forward."

Two men came and roughly pushed Ulquiorra forward. The espada glared at Yamamoto.

"Ulquiorra, Schiffer: fourth ranked espada. We should have known better than to let you live. Speak up, now. Where did the intruders go?"

"I don't know," he answered.

Yamamoto hit his cane on the ground, causing scorching hot flames to come out. "You are in no position to lie to us. We can execute you right now."

"But you won't. Besides, I don't know where they are. This interrogation is pointless."

"You are lying. You and Orihime, Inoue have been planning this."

"The onna and I were never planning this."

The Head Captain had a look of doubt and anger spread on his face. "Lock him up." The two man came back to drag Ulquiorra into a cell. While they dragged Ulquiorra away, Yamamoto said, "We'll find them ourselves. We'll execute them all- including Orihime, Inoue."

Ulquiorra's eyes widened- along with Ichigo and the others'. He suddenly stopped letting the two men drag him, and while being handcuffed, he swung them towards a wall, creating craters in it. The captains drew their swords. "I will not let you harm the onna. If you touch one hair on her head, I will cause much more damage than they did."

Soi Fon leapt towards Ulquiorra, thrashing down to dispose of him, but Ichigo defended him.

"I never really expected this to happen," he said, "but I can't let you kill him."

Rukia, Uryu, and Sado took their weapons out and stood by Ichigo and Ulquiorra, ready to help.

"What are you doing, Kurosaki, Ichigo?" Yamamoto asked.

"We can't let you kill him, or Inoue. There is a perfectly good explanation for this."

"If you four don't back away from that criminal, we will have to execute you as well."

Ichigo smirked, broke Ulquiorra's handcuffs, and said, "Well, I guess you are going to have to kill me."

The five of them flash-stepped away. They ran back to the World of the Living. They found themselves in Kisuke's underground training grounds. There, they saw Kisuke, Yoruichi, Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu waiting for them.

"It seems you found out what we just did," Kisuke said, his head hung low.

"Urahara, what just happened?" Rukia asked.

"It seems Inoue-san and nine of her friends decided to start a war."

"That's not possible!" Ichigo cried out. "Inoue wouldn't do that!"

Yoruichi looked at Ulquiorra. He was staring at the ground, his head hung incredibly low. "Hey, Schiffer, did you know anything about this?"

Ulquiorra looked at the tan lady and answered, "No."

"It doesn't make any sense…" Uryu said.

"It does." Everybody looked at the hollow, confused as to why he would say such a thing. "That is why she asked me to train her."

"But why would she join them and go against Soul Society?" Rukia asked.

"…I am unsure."

Kisuke got up, gathering everybody's attention.

"The real question is," he said, "whose team are you on? Are you on Inoue-san's team, or are you on Soul Society's team?"

"I am on the onna's side," Ulquiorra declared. He then looked at Ichigo and the others. "…I am grateful for you freeing me."

Ichigo smiled and said, "Well, I guess we are on the same side." He looked at Kisuke. "In case you hadn't noticed, we ran away from Soul Society, of course we aren't on their side."

Kisuke smiled, along with Yoruichi and the others, "Well then, I guess we are going to have to find Inoue-san and ask her what's going on and help protect her."

* * *

"Wh-Where are we?" Orihime asked.

"We are at our secret base," Lyon answered.

"So your enemy was Soul Society? But why?"

"I can answer that question for you, darling," the leader said. "My name is Yamato. I'm the one that brought your friend back. To answer your question: no. Soul Society is not our enemy. The only reason we had to stop them is because they would get in our way of eliminating our true enemy."

"Wait, so who's your true enemy?"

Yamato grinned and said, "_Our _true enemies are the humans."

"But aren't you humans, too?"

"Yes, but we don't refer to ourselves as one of them."

"W-What happened?"

"We've all got our own stories, darling. For instance, as you already know, Lyon and Mia were always tormented for their hair color and the way they dressed. The harassment was so bad, they killed themselves. So I brought them back to life. They came back with a spectacular power and I asked them to join me. I have brought back all but one of these lovely people, for they were all tortured souls."

"Who was the one person that you didn't bring back?"

Yamato grinned once again as he said, "The pretty little miss over there: Yui."

Orihime's eyes widened a fraction as she looked at the girl that beat her up. The blonde girl simply looked away. She did not want anybody looking at her with curiosity.

"So, what now?" Orihime asked, looking back at the old man in front of her.

"Good question, my dear. We did not fully vanquish Soul Society yet, so five of us will go there and finish the job. The other five will stay in the World of the Living and destroy these pests," he answered. "Yui, Ritsu, Lyon, Mia, and I will go to Soul Society and end things quickly. While we are doing that, Daisuke, Miketsukami, Naoki, Chiharu, and Orihime will stay here and get rid of some of the humans. Not all of them, okay? The five of us need to get our revenge, too."

Everybody except for Orihime laughed.

"Yeah, you better not kill them all while we are at Soul Society!" Lyon shouted.

"Don't worry, Lyon. I'll make sure to save you at least 1000." Naoki reassured.

"Okay, okay. Now, are there any objections to this plan?" Yamato asked.

"Well, I have a question."Miketsukami announced. "Shouldn't I go with you to Soul Society so I can bring you back easier with my shadows?"

"Hmm… good point, Miketsukami. Ritsu, darling, how about you switch with him?"

"Ritsu and I aren't being separated," Yui suddenly said. "Where I go, she goes. I'm not letting my little sister go alone."

"Now, now, Yui. We can't be stubborn." Yamato said. He moved his fingers into a position as if he were about to snap, but only Yui saw. This meant that he was threatening to take back Ritsu's life.

A look of anger appeared on the blonde girl's face as she said, "Fine."

"_So they are sisters." _ Orihime thought. "_So the reason why she's here is because he brought her little sister back to life. I wonder if Sora would do that… Or… if I would do that…"_

"So, no new objections or questions, am I right?" Yamato asked once again.

Nobody spoke up.

"Alright then, you may all go to your rooms."

Everybody started walking away.

"Rooms?" Orihime asked.

"Oh, sorry, Orihime. I forgot about you!" Yamato stated.

"She can just stay with us!" Mia suggested.

"Yeah! C'mon, princess!" Lyon instructed.

"Oh, okay." Orihime said, following the twins to their new room.

As she was walking, she thought of what she should do.

"_I can't let them hurt anybody… But what about Ulquiorra? And Lyon and Mia might get mad at me… I can't let him hurt Ulquiorra, but I am not going to let them hurt innocent people either. This war will end now. But how am I going to stop them?"_

Orihime snapped out of her thoughts and noticed somebody watching her. It was the hooded figure from before. Looking closely, she noticed that the person had very light brown hair. The girl couldn't avert her gaze from the person.

As she walked by, the person quietly said, "I guess you and I are thinking the same thing. Guess that means I won't have to kill you."

"_So it's a girl… Wait, what is she talking about?" _Orihime thought.

The girl in the hood walked away, leaving a curious Orihime to ponder what she had said.

**Author's Note: **"_I guess I literally do go insane without the onna," _he thought. "_Nope, I'm real," _the female voice said. "_…Who are you?" _**Who do you think the female is? Find out in the next chapter, which I'll be posting later tonight! Thanks again for the reviews! :)**


	32. Chapter 32: The Voices in My Head

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the reviews!**

Chapter 32: The Voices in My Head

"Hey, Ulquiorra… Are you… okay?" Ichigo asked.

Ulquiorra was sitting straight up on the couch. It was two in the morning in Karakura Town. Ichigo, Rukia, Uryu, and Sado had decided to stay the night at their apartment to search for clues. They even hoped that Orihime would just return home and this whole war would have been forgotten. To be honest, they knew nothing about the war. All they knew was that Orihime had gone against Soul Society with a group of strange people. Uryu had said there were nine of them. The thought of Orihime betraying all of them had crept into their mind a few times, but they would try their best to abandon those thoughts. But it was hard. The people she had teamed up with had not only attacked Soul Society- which was their ally for a while- but had also attacked them. It was hard not to think of the possibility that Orihime was going against all of them, not just Soul Society.

"I'm fine." Ulquiorra replied, not bothering to glance in his direction.

"Idiot, it's two in the morning and you are still waiting for her to come back. I don't think she's coming back, Ulquiorra."

Ulquiorra stood up and turned towards him saying, "Do not say that."

Ichigo sighed and said, "I don't mean she's not coming back ever, I mean that she's not coming home _tonight._ Don't worry, we'll get her back."

"I don't need reassurance from you… But yes, we will."

"Why don't you go to bed?"

"…I can't."

"Why not?"

"You already know."

"Is it because you are optimistic of her coming home tonight, or the fact that you are too worried about her to sleep?"

"…Both."

"Alright, well, there's no arguing with you about sleeping. But keep this in mind: we are going to need you to fight, and to fight, you need to be at your best. In other words, you need to sleep."

"I don't need to you criticize my fighting abilities."

"Yeah, yeah, just go to bed."

Ichigo walked back to where Uryu and Sado were "sleeping" on the floor.

"He can't sleep either?" Uryu asked.

"Nope," Ichigo replied.

"What do you think is going on?" Sado asked.

"I honestly don't even know… I don't know why Orihime would betray- I mean, _go against_ Soul Society."

"Hey, go to bed, you three."

The three turned to see Rukia. She had been "sleeping" in Orihime's room. Truthfully, none of them could sleep that night. They were too confused and worried about their dear friend.

* * *

"_Onna… What are you doing?"_ Ulquiorra thought. "_When are you coming home? Who are those people?"_

"_Hey there," _a female voice said in his head.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened as he was immensely confused. Why was there a woman's voice in his head? Sure, he would think of Orihime's voice from time to time, but this girl's voice wasn't hers. It was somebody else's.

"_I guess I literally do go insane without the onna," _he thought.

"_Nope, I'm real," _the female voice said.

"_…Who are you?"_

"_Let's just say I'm an… ally of Inoue. Let's get down to business. I'm not one to talk much. You know the people she's working with? Yeah, all but one of them is not your allies."_

_ "What are you talking about?"_

_ "It's simple. I know that you and your group are thinking of being on the same side as her, so you were going to support the people in her group. Don't. She is trying to think of a plan to defeat them from the inside. She is not one of them. She is only pretending to be. There are a couple of issues for her, but I'm sure it'll work."_

_ "What do you mean issues?"_

_ "Well, for starters, defeating them from the inside is going to be very hard. She is going to have to pretend to be on their side, listen to their orders for a little while, and make sure they all believe her. Then, she is going to have to somehow attack and win. Honestly, it seems very hard. Almost impossible. But I'm sure she'll be fine. But, the main issue is the internal conflict."_

_ "Explain."_

_ "Well, you know Orihime better than most, so you should know that she is nice. Sometimes, she's too nice. Hurting anyone- even if they're the enemy- is a pretty hard task for her. But that's not the worst part."_

_ "Then what is?"_

_ "Well, you see… She's kind of developed feelings towards-"_

_ "What kind of feelings?"_

_ "Relax, they're just feelings of friendship, lover boy. She's become friends with two of the members in the group. I've heard you have met them. Their names are-"_

_ "Lyon and Mia Horikawa."_

_ "Stop interrupting me. Anyways, as I was saying, she's friends with them. I know she's having trouble on how to deal with them."_

_ "How do you know this?"_

_ "I read her thoughts. I could've talked to her too, but I decided not to."_

_ "How are you doing this? Are you a shinigami?"_

_ "No, I'm a human. I have special abilities like Inoue and the other people in her group. Enough of that, now, here's their plan. Keep in mind that Inoue is trying to come up with a way of rebelling against it."_

_ "Spit it out."_

_ "Fine, fine. In total- including Inoue- there are 10 of them. The leader, Yamato, is sending five people to Soul Society to finish the job while he has the other five destroy the World of the Living. Their main enemy is the humans, but they had to stop Soul Society first, which is why they attacked. The people going to Soul Society are Yui Kamato, Miketsukami Hiyoshi, Lyon and Mia Horikawa, and our leader, Yamato Kamiji. The people staying in this world consist of Ritsu Kamato, Naoki Wabisuku, Daisuke Kenyatta, Chiharu, and Orihime Inoue."_

_ "Why does one of them not have a last name?"_

_ "Who knows? It's a mystery."_

_ "When is this plan commencing?"_

_ "I'm not sure yet. I know it's not tomorrow. I'll keep you in touch. I have to go now. I'll talk to you tomorrow and update you on this… By the way, the girl is in love with you. You shouldn't ask too many questions about it."_

_ "Well then why would she agree to do something so dangerous and leave me behind to worry about her?"_

_ "Ugh, and here I thought that you were the one that believed in her strength."_

_ "I do."_

_ "Look, the real reason is pretty intense. She had no choice."_

_ "What is it?"_

_ "I don't think you want to know-"_

_ "Tell me."_

The girl sighed.

_"If she didn't, you would have been killed."_

**Author's Note: **Ulquiorra sat up straight again that night. He waited to hear the female's voice in his head once again. Finally, he heard her. **See you next time!**


	33. Chapter 33: Waking Up

**Author's Note: Sorry for updating it late at night. I am on vacation so I get a little busy sometimes! **

Chapter 33: Waking Up

"Good morning, Lyon. Good morning, Mia." Orihime greeted as her friends woke up the next morning.

"Hey, Orihime. Have you been awake all night?" Mia questioned the girl with bags under her eyes.

"Sorry, I couldn't sleep…"

"Hey, I'll go make us some breakfast." Lyon announced.

"Thanks!" the two girls said.

"So, Orihime, why couldn't you sleep last night?" Mia asked.

"I don't know. I guess I just couldn't stop thinking," the girl replied.

"About what?"

"Oh, I don't know." Orihime lied.

She knew very well what she was thinking about. To be honest, she thought about many things. She wondered what the class was learning in school, what kind of gossip her group of human friends was conversing in, what she was going to do about the war, and most of all: Ulquiorra. She couldn't get him out of her head. The girl wondered if he was angry with her for abandoning him for some group of people he didn't know.

Orihime sighed. "_In the end, I really am losing him either way…"_

"Hello? Earth to Orihime! Are you there?"

Orihime snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed Mia waving her hand in her face.

She giggled and said, "Sorry, I was day dreaming."

The pink haired girl giggled as well and said, "It's fine. Let's go, the idiot is done getting our food."

The two girls walked down and noticed the other eight people downstairs. Naoki and Lyon were laughing as the wacked each other with cooked bacon.

Orihime inhaled the scent and asked, "Wait, since you don't have a kitchen, how did you cook the bacon?"

Naoki looked at the curious girl and answered, "Daisuke makes us the food. He uses his power."

"He has the power to cook good food!?"

Orihime heard a cute little giggle coming from behind the boys. Behind them, she noticed the little boy, Daisuke. She had seen him before at the meeting last night and couldn't help but wonder what his story was and why he was with them. He looked up at her with a huge grin.

"So, you're Daisuke huh?" Orihime asked, smiling gently at him.

"Yep!" he replied.

"So, you can cook?"

"Nope!"

"Then how did you make all of this food?"

"I'll show you!"

The little boy placed his sketchbook onto his lap and pulled out a red crayon. He proceeded to draw bacon strips on the paper. Suddenly, he ripped the paper out and swiped the paper in the air. Just as suddenly, Orihime found bacon flying at her.

"Whoa! That's amazing! So you can draw something and then it magically appears!?"

"Yep! Well, not everything…"

"What do you mean?"

"I can't draw my mommy back. I've tried. It won't work."

Orihime looked at the boy, sadness filling her grey eyes. "I see…" she finally said.

Lyon quickly picked Daisuke up and placed him on his shoulders. He then carried him away, laughing and jumping.

"Daisuke is the newest addition to our group. He and his mother died in a terrible hiking accident." Yamato announced once the two boys were gone.

"Oh…" Orihime replied.

"He's such a sweet boy. The moment I brought him back he asked if I could exchange him for his mother."

"…Why didn't you bring her back as well?"

"I would like to keep my group somewhat small. I don't want people to notice a bunch of dead people walking around. It would attract too much attention, don't you think?"

Orihime nodded her head in agreement. Thinking of Daisuke's story made her wonder about everybody else's.

"_Why is everybody with him? It's like they've all been through such terrible things and so they follow him,"_ she thought.

The orange haired girl heard chuckling from the other side of the room. Looking over there, she saw the girl in the hood watching her and laughing.

"Curious, aren't you?" she asked.

"Huh?" Orihime asked.

"Chiharu, stop using your powers like that." Yui said, walking to the confused girl with her little sister.

"Wait what?" Orihime asked, utterly confused.

"So, you want to hear people's backgrounds, huh? Go on, Yui, tell her yours," the mysterious girl said.

"You are such a bitch, Chiharu. Honestly, people think of you as the mysterious, quiet type. I wish you were like that," the blonde girl remarked.

"Sorry about them!" Ritsu said. "They are always like this."

"Oh, no, it's fine! A lot of my friends were like this, too." Orihime replied.

"If you were wondering, you could've asked!" the girl said with a smile. "I was killed by a drunk driver. Yui heard from Naoki about Yamato, so she demanded that he brought me back to life."

"I see…" Orihime said. "But don't you two miss your family?"

"Our parents abandoned us when we were little."

"…Same here."

"We know. We've heard a lot about you. You are a lot like us, Inoue-san!"

"I guess I am…"

* * *

Ulquiorra sat up straight again that night. He waited to hear the female's voice in his head once again. Finally, he heard her.

"_Hey, lover boy_," she said.

"_Do not call me that_," he demanded.

_"Oh, that's right, the only person allowed to call you silly names is Inoue."_

_ "…Yes."_

The girl laughed. "_How cute. Anyways, we are going with our plan tomorrow."_

_"How do I know I can trust you?"_

_ "You don't. The thing is, you don't have anything else to go off of."_

_ "That onna is so ridiculous for agreeing to this, even if my life was at risk. I am very capable of defeating him."_

_ "No you aren't. You don't understand his powers. He brought you back to life. He can literally take it away with the snap of his fingers. Trust me; I've seen it happen…"_

_ "Fine… But she is still foolish."_

_ "Lay off, she was just protecting you. Now, go to sleep so you can be ready for tomorrow."_

_ "First, tell me your name."_

_ "Why? What does it matter?"_

_ "So I can know who I am not to attack. Or to know who to kill if I find out you have lied to me."_

The girl laughed and said_, "My name is Chiharu."_

**Author's Note: It was a little short, but oh well! **Chiharu, who was standing approximately five feet away from their apartment to be able to hear Ulquiorra's thoughts, quickly returned to their base with a shade of red spread over her face. She discreetly entered the building and quietly entered her room, surprised to see an orange haired beauty sitting on her bed waiting for her. **Please review!**


	34. Chapter 34: Just Want to Go Home

Chapter 34: Just Want to Go Home

"_You are one of them." _Ulquiorra stated.

"_What? Is this true?" _Chiharu sarcastically asked.

"_I knew not to trust you."_

_ "Look, relax. I am only pretending to be one of them. I have been since the beginning."_

_ "What do you mean?"_

_ "I am the first member of that stupid group."_

_ "Why are you against them?"_

_ "I have my reasons. Who knows, maybe I'll tell you some other time."_

_ "There is no need for that. Has the onna discarded her feelings towards the enemy yet?"_

_ "…Actually, it's kind of the opposite. She met Daisuke today. He's a little boy, adorable kid. It's no wonder she instantly took a liking to him."_

_ "What are you even doing over there? Why aren't you stopping her from feeling friendship towards them?"_

_ "Listen here, lover boy, I'm doing the same thing that Inoue is. I've been pretending much longer than she has, of course I have to keep with the script. Besides, it's not like she has to kill most of them. Just get the orange haired boy and his group to do it. She only has to kill one."_

_ "She would not like that."_

_ "Well she's going to have to deal with it. Besides, it's not like she stopped him from killing you."_

Ulquiorra remained quiet and contemplated what the girl had just said.

"_You are right."_

_ "Of course I am. Now, you know who she has to kill, right?"_

_ "I am unsure."_

_ "Yamato: our leader. He wouldn't expect it at all, so she has to be the one to do it."_

_ "Are you sure she is capable of this? If she gets hurt-"_

_ "Yeah, yeah, I know. You'll kill me, right? Anyways, just make sure your idiotic friends don't kill me, you know, since I'm on your side. But don't make it obvious! I can't have my cover blown yet."_

_ "Yes."_

_ "Okay, I'm going to go now. Sweet dreams, lover boy."_

_ "Goodnight, onna."_

_ "Onna? Isn't that what you call Inoue?"_

_ "…You remind me of her."_

_ "…Bye."_

Chiharu, who was standing approximately five feet away from their apartment to be able to hear Ulquiorra's thoughts, quickly returned to their base with a shade of red spread over her face. She discreetly entered the building and quietly entered her room, surprised to see an orange haired beauty sitting on her bed waiting for her.

"I-Inoue?" Chiharu said.

"You can read minds, can't you, Chiharu-san?" Orihime asked, looking at the hooded girl.

Chiharu sighed and closed the door. "I guess I made it too obvious with our previous encounters, huh?"

"Just a little."

"So, uhh… Is that all?"

"No. During our first encounter, you read my mind when I was thinking of ways to go against this group. You said that because of this, you won't have to kill me… Are you against them too?"

"Yes."

Orihime's eyes widened. "Is everybody else-"

Chiharu placed a finger over her mouth, signaling her to be quiet.

"_Inoue, let's just talk inside your mind, alright? We can't let them hear about this. Besides, you aren't exactly trusted yet by some people. Watch for the shadows."_ Chiharu instructed.

"_Watch for the shadows? What does that mean?" _Orihime asked.

"_You've met him before. Miketsukami. His power is related to shadows. He is the most loyal follower that Yamato has. Knowing that jack ass, he probably listens to everything through all of the shadows in this place. You have to be more careful."_

_ "Oh, I'm sorry. So, why are you pretending to be with them?"_

_ "Funny, your boyfriend asked the same thing."_

_ "ULQUIORRA!? YOU TALKED TO HIM!?"_

_ "Calm down. Yes, I talked to him…"_

_ "W-What did he say?"_

_ "I told him their plan and that the reason why you're here is because his life was in danger. I also told him that you are my plan's prized possession."_

_ "What do you mean?"_

_ "You have to kill Yamato." _

_ "What!? Me!? I can't! I'm not strong enough to do that!"_

_ "Well, you have to be. He won't be expecting it. Besides, you were already thinking of doing it earlier."_

_ "Oh, right…"_

_ "You have to do this, Inoue. He is an evil man."_

_ "How?"_

_ "Did you already forget how he threatened to kill your boyfriend if you didn't go with them? Also, he secretly threatens to take back Ritsu's life if Yui doesn't cooperate. Mia and Lyon? He has thought about killing them off after this war. Same with Naoki and Daisuke. The only ones that he planned on keeping were you, Miketsukami, and I."_

_ "…What has he done to you?"_

_ "What do you mean?"_

_ "It's obvious that he did something to you, which is why you are going against them. You are holding some sort of grudge…"_

Chiharu chuckled and said, "_I guess you're right. I'd be lying if I said that it was for all of the innocent humans out there. Honestly, it's just the grudge. I want revenge. It's as simple as that."_

Orihime stared at the girl with pity and wonder.

"_Look, no need to worry about why I'm doing this. You should just be happy that I'm helping you, because let's face it; you aren't just against one group. You are really against three."_

_ "Three?"_

_ "Yes. Obviously, our group is one of them. Another obvious one is Soul Society. But what about your friends? They are going to fight with Yamato and his group, and you are going to have to pretend to be on their side. In other words, you are going to have to fight your friends to protect your enemy. I know, it's some confusing stuff."_

_ "_Hey, Chiharu," a female voice said outside of the room. They opened the door, revealing it was Yui. "Did you take my- Oh, didn't realize you had _company."_

"It's nothing. She was just asking about the battle plan for tomorrow." Chiharu said.

"What was she asking?"

"_Why are they talking about me as if I'm not here?"_ Orihime thought. Chiharu smiled, for she could of course hear the girl's thought.

"She was wondering if she could fight with me."

Yui looked at the girl and smirked. "Wow, you really are weak, aren't you?"

Orihime smiled at the girl and calmly replied, "It's strategic, Yui-san. I think it would be best if you have a partner while you are at Soul Society as well. They are really strong people. I don't think you stand a chance against any of them if you are alone."

Yui grinned, reminding Orihime of Grimmjow, and flashed her claws in her face. "I don't know, I was able to beat you just fine."

"Lyon told me how you passed out right after." Orihime informed her, still gently smiling.

"Okay, okay girls. We have a lot to do tomorrow, go to bed." Chiharu instructed.

"Fine," Yui said, walking out.

Orihime looked at Chiharu and said, "Goodnight, Chiharu-san!"

"Night."

Orihime continued to stare at the girl for a few more seconds before turning around and thinking to herself, "_I wonder what she looks like underneath that hood."_

Behind her, she heard Chiharu laugh and say, "Everyone does, Orihime."

"_Oh, I forgot she can hear me."_

The orange haired girl entered her room and saw Mia and Lyon already asleep. She smiled at them.

"_What am I going to do about these two?"_

She sighed and got into her bed.

"_I'll figure it out tomorrow. Maybe I'll be able to see everyone tomorrow. But then again, I'll be fighting. I'll even have to kill Yamato… I need to be discreet about this, or else he'll kill Ulquiorra. Ugh, I'm even a traitor to Soul Society, again. I hope everybody understands after I explain it to them. I just want to go home and be with Ulquiorra again. Tomorrow is going to be a rough day."_

**Author's Note: **Everyone ran off to go destroy Soul Society. While running to find an opponent, Yui heard explosions coming from behind her. She grinned and started to laugh maniacally. **So, the war is once again starting in the next chapter starting with Yui's battle! Who do you think she's going to fight? ;) Find out on Monday! Please review! :D**


	35. Chapter 35: Yui Vs Rangiku

**Author's Note: I'm sorry for the long absence, there was a family death and I wasn't planning on bringing my laptop with me. Man, my birthday was on Monday too and I was excited to tell you guys that! Now I will upload Monday, Wednesday, and Friday's chapters today. Sorry again for the absence! **

Chapter 35: Yui Vs Rangiku

"Alright, is everyone ready?" Yamato asked.

The ten of them were all standing in a circle, waiting to leave for the war.

"Yes," everyone said.

"Alright, let's go."

Yui walked to her sister and gave her a big hug. "Be careful, Ritsu. I'll meet up with you soon."

Ritsu smiled at the nervous girl and replied, "I will, nee-san. Now go!"

Yui nodded and headed into the portal with Yamato, Miketsukami, Mia, and Lyon. The twins waved goodbye to Orihime before they left.

"_Be safe, you two," _the frantic girl thought.

Chiharu and Orihime headed out together, while the other three went their own separate ways.

"Are you ready for this, Inoue?" the hooded girl asked while running.

"As ready as I'll ever be… But how am I going to stop him if he's in Soul Society?" Orihime questioned.

Chiharu stopped running, startling Orihime. She looked at her and said, "I didn't think of that."

"What do you mean you didn't think of that!?"

"Look, it'll be fine! Hopefully…"

"Did you just say hopefully!?"

"Let's go!"

The two girls ran off once again, but now Orihime was even more nervous and terrified.

* * *

Arriving in Soul Society, Yamato and the others grinned.

"We are here," he said. "Everyone split up. When we are done, Miketsukami will bring us back to the World of the Living so we can get our revenge."

"Yes."

Everyone ran off to go destroy Soul Society. While running to find an opponent, Yui heard explosions coming from behind her. She grinned and started to laugh maniacally.

"Wow, your laughter is just hideous," a female voice remarked.

Yui turned around to see a small, white haired captain and a tall, orange haired, busty woman.

"Wow, this coming from an old hag," the blonde girl hastily shot back.

"Who are you calling an old hag, you bi-"

"Enough. You two are annoying me."

"What was that, pipsqueak?" Yui asked, irritating Toshiro.

"I'M NOT A PIPSQUEAK!" he shouted, about to draw out Hyorinmaru. That is, until Rangiku stopped him.

"Captain, she's obviously one of the weaker ones, let me handle her while you go after one of the stronger ones," she suggested.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Alright, I'll leave her to you. Be careful, Matsumoto."

"Of course."

Toshiro flash-stepped away, leaving Rangiku and Yui to glare at each other.

"Are you sure you want to send your captain away? You are going to need all the help you can get," Yui said.

"I'll be fine. What about you? Have any friends you can call for help?" Rangiku shot back.

"Let's just get this started, shall we?"

"Let's."

Yui flashed her claws and lunged towards the shinigami. She swung down, only to hit Rangiku's zanpakuto. The blonde girl kicked her enemy and swung down with her other hand, causing a shallow cut in Rangiku's left arm. The lieutenant immediately retaliated by using flash-step to appear behind her and cut Yui's back. Both girls gathered some distance and started panting.

"I don't have much time. I have to meet someone," Yui stated.

"Same here," Rangiku said.

"It's time to get serious."

"Be my guest."

Suddenly, claws appeared at the blonde's toes along with a tail on her backside. Fangs also grew in her mouth and her claws started to ooze a strange looking liquid. Yui then bent over to take the position of a panther. Rangiku stared at the girl with curiosity. Just then, Yui pounced at her. Rangiku tried to block the attack with her zanpakuto, but Yui simply used her tail to grab the sword and draw it away. Then, she quickly unleashed it and smacked the girl with her tail. To her surprise, the tail hurt a lot more than to be expected. Yui hissed and took her position once again.

Rangiku stood and said, "Growl, Haineko."

To Yui's surprise, the zanpakuto suddenly disappeared into ash. "What kind of power is this?"

A sharp pain struck through Yui's left leg and back. She then realized that the ash was the one that had cut her.

"That is Haineko's power," Rangiku informed her.

"How lame," Yui retorted. "Hey, I have an idea."

"Well then, let's hear it."

"I say that we just end things quickly."

"How so?"

"Both of us will attack at the same time using the strongest attack we have. Whoever lives through it is not only the strongest, but also the prettiest and better in every way."

"Feisty, aren't you? I like this idea. You'll die knowing I'm better than you."

"It's the other way around, honey."

"So, how are we going to do this? Are we going to count to three?"

"Fine. One."

"Two."

"Three," the two girls announced, lunging towards each other.

* * *

"_What was that explosion just now?" _Toshiro thought as he ran to find any opponents. "_You better be alright, Matsumoto."_

* * *

Back at the battlefield, Yui and Rangiku lay on the ground, panting and in pain. Yui had many severe cuts over her body. Rangiku, on the other hand, had a huge, gaping claw mark in her abdomen. It oozed the strange liquid.

"Hey," the orange haired shinigami said, "what is this liquid?"

"It's obviously a poison." Yui answered between pants. "Slowly, it will spread throughout your body and… eventually you'll… die from it dissolving your… insides and your skin."

"…I see."

Rangiku heard shuffling happening near her opponent. She turned her head to see Yui struggling to get back up. The blonde girl was gripping her stomach due to the pain.

"I guess you win, huh?" Rangiku said.

Yui, who was still panting, replied, "Not really. It was a loss for both of us… I'm going to go find… my sister. Good luck. You were… a good opponent."

"You aren't going to kill me?"

"No."

"…I won't tell people where you are headed."

"Thanks."

"Good luck."

"You too."

Yui staggered away, leaving a dying Rangiku. The blonde turned back towards the girl and showed a side of herself completely different than normal. She gently rolled a vial towards Rangiku full of a pink liquid. Rangiku hesitantly grabbed the bottle and started to inspect it.

"What is this?" Rangiku asked.

"The cure to the stuff that oozes out of my claws. If the gash from my claws don't kill you, then I guess you'll live with the cure," Yui answered.

"Why are you giving me this?"

"I don't really know to be honest. I think I'm done with this whole fighting thing. My little sister and I don't belong doing this."

"Come here."

"Why?"

"Just do it!"

Yui limped towards the shinigami and crouched down beside her. Using the last of her power, Rangiku started to heal the girl's wounds. Once it was done, the blonde got up and walked away, leaving Rangiku to drink the cure to her venom. Now, all that was on Yui's mind was how to get rid of Yamato so the two sisters could live a peaceful life.

**Author's Note: Sorry, I am not really good with writing about fighting! I hope it was somewhat interesting! Here is the preview for the next chapter: **Daisuke yelped and quickly jumped out of the way. He barely made it, and while jumping from the attack, he scraped a part of his leg. **Who do you think Daisuke will be fighting? :) You probably won't guess right, but go ahead and try! ;)**


	36. Chapter 36: Yachiru Vs Daisuke

**Author's Note: Please keep in mind that I am not good with fighting scenes haha. Anyways, please enjoy!**

Chapter 36: Yachiru Vs Daisuke

Back in the World of the Living, the small child, Daisuke, was wandering around with his sketchpad and colored pencils. The little boy didn't enjoy fighting; he only did it when he was told to. He had no need for revenge since his death, along with his mother's, was from a simple hiking accident. The only reason why he didn't openly go against fighting was so that he could stay with the group. Especially Chiharu, Ritsu, and Yui. While walking around, he sensed immense spiritual pressure coming from behind him. Turning around, he saw a tall man with a child on his shoulder. The man had spiky hair with bells on the tips. It was very unusual to the boy. The girl had light pink hair, similar to Mia.

"Yachiru, this kid has some spiritual pressure. Do you think he's one of them?" the tall man in a white robe asked.

The pink haired child jumped off of the man and walked towards Daisuke. "I think so."

"U-Umm, I'm Daisuke," the small boy greeted.

"I'm Yachiru! Are you in the group of humans that started a rebellion towards Soul Society?"

"Umm, I think so. I guess."

"Yachiru, step aside. I'll handle this." Kenpachi announced.

"No," Yachiru replied, "I want this one."

"Huh?"

"I'll handle it."

"…Fine."

"Umm… I don't want to fight." Daisuke said.

"Sorry, Dai-Dai! You don't really have a choice!"

"Dai-Dai…?"

Yachiru pulled out her zanpakuto, frightening the young boy. In an instant, she appeared right behind him. The girl swung down with all of her might as her captain watched on a roof. Daisuke yelped and quickly jumped out of the way. He barely made it, and while jumping from the attack, he scraped a part of his leg. Tears formed in his eyes. The boy stood up and placed his sketchbook in front of him. Pulling out yellow and orange colored pencils, he quickly sketched a drawing of a ferocious looking lion.

"Hmm?" Yachiru said.

Daisuke then ripped out the sheet of sketchbook paper and with a swift movement, a lion appeared.

"A lion?"

"…Go."

* * *

"Daisuke?" Chiharu said, suddenly stopping.

"What?" Orihime asked the girl.

"Daisuke is fighting..."

"Let's go help him!"

"…We can't."

"What do you mean!? He's a little boy up against a shinigami! He needs help!"

"Daisuke is strong. Besides, we have our own task at hand."

"But-"

"No buts. We have to keep going. He'll be fine."

"Are you sure, Chiharu-san?"

"Yeah… He has to be…" Chiharu mumbled.

* * *

The lion leapt towards Yachiru, but being faster, she easily avoided it. Suddenly, she felt a stinging pain at her leg. Looking down, she saw a tiny army figure stabbing her with a tiny sword.

"Why didn't you draw him bigger?" Yachiru asked, flash-stepping next to him.

Daisuke jumped back and answered, "I didn't want to hurt you…"

Yachiru tilted her head to the side. "I was taught not to show mercy. It doesn't matter if you are a kid. I'll kill you."

"…I understand."

Yachiru tilted her head to the other side and calmly walked towards him. "Why do you work with them?"

"…Yamato brought me back to life… it would be rude if I just left. My friends are there too… They are my only family; they are all I have left after mommy died."

"I see…"

Yachiru once again flash-stepped by the boy and kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying into the ground. A crater formed and blood spurted out of his mouth. Pulling out a green colored pencil, he scribbled a monster into his sketchbook. Swinging the paper, the monster came to life. It was humongous. Yachiru, within a blink of an eye, leapt up and sliced the monster in two, causing tears to fall from Daisuke's eyes. The boy covered his eyes and started to sob.

"…I don't like seeing… things die…" he said between sobs. "I just want this… to stop!"

"Ken-chan, let's go." Yachiru said.

"Huh?"

"He isn't a threat. You heard him and saw his powers."

"Showing mercy, huh?"

"I guess so."

"What if the old man finds out about this?"

"He won't."

"Alright then. Hey, kid, be grateful that this brat here is generous."

Daisuke, who was hiccupping due to the crying, glanced up at the two. He smiled brightly through the tears and said, "Thank you, Yachiru!"

"Bye, Dai-Dai! Wait, can you draw me something really quick?"

"Umm, sure!"

"Draw me a small slime monster!"

Daisuke laughed and did as he was told. A small, green slime monster appeared and went towards Yachiru. She picked it up and laughed.

"Ken-chan! Can we keep him?"

"No, let's go."

"Fine."

Yachiru walked towards Daisuke and handed him the slime monster. "Can you take care of him for me, Dai-Dai?"

Daisuke grinned and took the green monster from her. The two children shook hands and parted ways, wondering what would happen next in this ridiculous war.

**Author's Note: Yeah, violence obviously isn't my thing. Oh well! Next chapter's preview: **"Hello, my name is Ritsu," the small, blonde child greeted. "This is Naoki-kun." **So the next chapter is 2 vs 2! One team is obviously Ritsu and Naoki, who do you think the other duo is? :) See you next time! **


	37. Chapter 37

**Author's Note: Once again, another crappy fighting chapter. Oh well! Hopefully you enjoy it!**

Chapter 37: Uryu and Sado Vs Naoki and Ritsu

"Sado, I sense some spiritual pressure in that direction," Uryu said while running with the tanned dark man.

Sado simply nodded, but then stopped to consider something. "Ishida, what if it is Inoue?"

"…Then we tell her that we are on her side."

"What if it's the people she went with?"

"I'm not sure yet," he answered, pushing his glasses up.

"Would we fight them?"

"I don't know."

"What if it's Soul Society?"

"Then we fight. They want to kill Inoue-san, we can't let them."

"I see."

The two teenage boys continued running towards the direction where they sensed spiritual pressure. They could tell there were two people. Preparing themselves, they got ready to fight Soul Society, or maybe even Orihime's friends.

* * *

"Naoki-kun, where are we going?" Ritsu asked.

"There are two people following us. It's Inoue's friends, Uryu and Sado. Uryu is the quincy, Sado is the human with the weird arms." Naoki answered.

"Are we going to fight them?"

"I know that Yui doesn't want you to fight much, so I'm trying to take you away from them."

"Are you going to fight them? They are Inoue-san's friends!"

"Yeah, and you know that she is on our side now. We are her teammates, not them. They probably think of her as a traitor now anyways. Knowing humans, they probably came to kill us, and even her. I'm doing what's best."

"…I'll fight too."

"Yui doesn't want you-"

"I don't care. It wouldn't be right to have you fight two people while I run away. I'm going to help."

The teenage boy glanced at the young girl with admiration. She may have been a mere child, but she was definitely brave. Naoki finally stopped running, surprising the young girl.

"Well," he started, "if you are this determined, I can't say no. We'll just wait for them to get to us. But, Ritsu, do know that you could be severely injured, maybe even killed. These are humans, after all."

"I fully understand," the blonde girl replied, standing her ground.

"Alright, let's wait for them then."

* * *

"Ishida, look." Sado instructed.

Uryu did as he was told and saw two people, seeming to be waiting for them. One was a small child while the other looked to be a teenager of their age.

"A little girl?" Uryu asked approaching them.

"Can we even fight them?" Sado asked. "It's a little girl. I'll take the boy."

"I can't fight a little girl either!"

"Hello, my name is Ritsu," the small, blonde child greeted. "This is Naoki-kun."

"Sorry, but we don't have time for greetings," Uryu said. "Are you the people that Inoue-san went with?"

"Yes, we are." Naoki answered.

"Where is she?"

"She should be out killing some of you lousy humans."

"You two look like humans as well, and Inoue-san is also a human. She's too kind to kill innocent people. Hell, she's too kind to kill anything at all."

"You'd be surprised."

Suddenly, Sado used his power to transform his arm. Ritsu and Naoki's eyes widened, along with Uryu's.

"Sado, are you going to fight them?" he asked. "No matter how idiotic they are, they are Inoue-san's comrades."

"We have no choice. What they are saying about her isn't true. They are forcing her to do this, I can feel it," the giant man said. "El Directo."

Ritsu stepped forward with fierce determination set into her green eyes. The little girl then placed a hand in front of her. "Leave," she demanded. "You aren't going to take Inoue-san back. She belongs with us."

"I'm sorry, but we can't." Uryu said. "Step away. You can get seriously hurt."

Ritsu sighed as she murmured, "I'm sorry."

Just then, an orb of green light appeared at the child's hand. She drew her hand back and then thrust it forward as if she were throwing a baseball and sent the green orb towards the two boys. Uryu and Sado jumped out of the orbs reach, but the light suddenly exploded and hit the two boys with it.

"Naoki-kun, now!" Ritsu whispered to her partner.

"Yes," he replied, transforming into Uryu with a torn cape.

Naoki then ran towards the explosion that caused much black smoke, jumped in, and lied down. Once the smoke cleared, three figures were visible. Sado and Uryu were slightly injured.

"Ishida, are you okay?" Sado asked, regaining his rigid posture.

"I'm fine," two separate voices said. They sounded alike, but they were coming from two different locations.

Looking to his left, Sado saw Uryu standing up. Looking on the right, he saw the same thing. Confusion slipped into his mind. Well, seeing two of the same person is sure to stir up some confusion.

"Sado, attack him!" one of the Uryu's shouted.

"No! Attack him! He's an imposter!" the other one yelled.

As Sado glanced between the two Uryu's, he failed to notice Ritsu forming another green orb to attack him from behind.

One of the Uryu's noticed this and shouted, "Watch out, Sado!" Sado then realized which of the Uryu's was real and as he jumped to the side to avoid the attack, he shot an attack at the imposter. Naoki was too slow to see it coming and was hit by the attack. The tanned man then joined his partner to watch Ritsu run towards Naoki. Tears fell from her eyes as she ran to her comrade.

"Naoki-kun!" she shouted.

"I-I'm fine, Ritsu," the bloody man replied. "Just a little beat up. Ritsu… run."

Ritsu's eyes widened as she said, "No! I am not leaving you!"

"You have to!"

"No, she doesn't," Uryu said while walking towards the two. "We aren't scum that will attack children or men that were already brought down."

Sado nodded. Naoki's eyes widened as he looked at the two. "Maybe not _all_ humans are too bad."

"Well," Uryu started, "don't expect us to get too nice. We need answers, and you two are going to give them to us."

"Yes, we'll do anything." Ritsu said, tears still falling.

"When was this war staged?"

"A month ago."

"How?"

"Mia-san and Lyon-kun entered Inoue-san's dreams and told her about it. They told her that if she doesn't cooperate, there will be grave consequences."

"What kind of consequences?" Sado asked.

"Yamato." Naoki answered. "He has the power to resurrect the dead, which is how her hollow friend was brought back to life. But, he also has the power to easily take back the life he brought back."

"So he threatened to kill Schiffer." Uryu said.

"Yes."

"Why didn't she try to tell anybody?"

"You two don't understand how easy it is for Yamato to kill the hollow. It is literally with a snap of his fingers."

"Oh. Well then, what is your group's aim?"

"Revenge for the most part."

"What do you mean?"

"Most of us were brought back because we were wronged by humans. So, revenge boils inside of us. The others stay with us because we are all they have."

Uryu glanced at the quietly sobbing girl. "What are you here for?"

"…I was killed by some drunk driver… Yui found Yamato and demanded that he brought me back to life so we were forced to stay with him. I know that he secretly threatens my life if Yui doesn't cooperate… I don't want revenge… Yui did at first, but she got over it and wanted to start a new life with me… Yamato wouldn't let us though…"

"So you two had no choice."

"Yes…"

Sado looked at the bloodied teenage boy and asked, "What about you?"

"Well, my parents were dicks and they abandoned me on my fifth birthday. I died of starvation. Next thing I knew, I was sitting in some abandoned building with Yamato, Chiharu, Lyon, and Mia. I was informed that he brought me back to life," Naoki answered.

"What are the other people's stories?" Uryu asked.

"Mia and Lyon were tortured during school so they killed themselves. Daisuke died in a hiking accident with his mother- he's one of the few that don't want revenge. Miketsukami was killed by some serial killer or something; I don't really know or care. You just heard Yui and Ritsu's story, which leaves Chiharu. To be honest, nobody except for Yamato knows her story. We don't dare to ask Yamato and whenever Chiharu is asked, she just ignores us. Now that I think about it, nobody knows Yamato's story either."

"I see."

"So, are you going to let us live?"

"Well, the blast from Sado was pretty fatal, you might not make it. But we won't do anything to push your death. Do not go after your silly idea of revenge, or else we will come back for you."

"Wow, I wonder how the others are doing."

* * *

"It was Ishida-kun and Sado-kun! I have to go to them! They were against Ritsu-chan and Naoki-kun! I have to stop them from fighting!" Orihime shouted, trying to run towards the direction of their spiritual pressure, tears quickly forming in her eyes.

"No! The fighting obviously stopped, we have to keep going!" Chiharu demanded. "You have the biggest task out of everybody! You have to kill Yamato! I can't have you get distracted and possibly killed in crossfire! Hurry, we have to get to Soul Society! Do you want people to die!?"

Tears stained Orihime's cheeks as she said, "No…"

"Then let's go. It's time to kill that bastard."

If only the two girls had realized that Soul Society was far bloodier and dangerous. There, three people were to fight against each other. The two girls were sure to be caught in the crossfire of this deadly battle.

**Author's Note: The next chapter is 1 vs 1 vs 1! So 3 people against each other! **Miketsukami chuckled and said, "Let's get this over with." **One of them is Miketsukami, who do you think the other two are? :) Please review! :D**


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Ulquiorra Vs Miketsukami Vs Byakuya

Orihime and Chiharu jumped through the Senkaimon into Soul Society. There, they heard explosions, saw people lying bloodied on the ground, and smelled the smoke in the air from the pure destruction. Little did they know that they had been followed into this world.

"Chiharu-san, I'm scared!" Orihime cried out. "I-I have to help these people! Who am I kidding, thinking that I could kill Yamato!"

"Inoue, you'll be fine! You can do this, I'll help you! I'm going to be the decoy while you strike from behind!" the hooded girl assured.

"I can't have you risk yourself! What if I mess up!?"

"Onna, enough of your worrying," the two girls heard behind them.

Turning around, they saw Ulquiorra out of his gigai and carrying Murcielago. Orihime's eyes widened and small tears formed. Ulquiorra simply walked up to the two girls and stood by them. The anxious girl, as expected, grabbed the boy into a long embrace as she cried into his white uniform from Hueco Mundo.

"I'm sorry, Ulquiorra!" she cried out.

"Do not apologize, onna. Thanks to you, I am still alive," he simply said. "I know all about the things you've been through for me. Onna, you have to be brave now. You have to be the one to kill him. You are stronger than you believe yourself to be, you can do it. I shall help you."

"Oh, so that was your plan, miss," the small trio heard.

Glancing around, they saw nobody there. Orihime's eyes were widened along with the other two's- though you wouldn't see Chiharu's eyes since her hood covered them. Just then, a shadow was lifted off the ground and created a human figure.

"Miketsukami," Chiharu hissed.

"Hey, Chiharu. I see that you've been planning a rebellion. Sorry, but I'm going to have to dispose of the three of you now. I'm sure that the master will be okay without you two," the shadow said.

Miketsukami finally came out of the shadow and slowly approached them.

Suddenly, the four of them heard a deep voice say, "Byakurai."  
A shot off lightening then flew towards Miketsukami. Unfortunately, the boy was fast enough to sink back as a shadow onto the ground. Looking towards where the attack came from, Orihime and the others saw Byakuya standing about 20 feet away from them with his finger pointed towards the shadow user. The captain then moved his finger towards the trio.

"Byakurai."

Ulquiorra jumped in front of the two girls and used his zanpakuto to easily block the attack.

"Onna, run," he instructed, preparing to attack.

"No!" she shouted, only to be given a demanding look from Ulquiorra.

"Inoue, let's go. He'll be fine," Chiharu said, pulling the girl away. The two girls left as Orihime kept staring back at her loved one.

"Ulquiorra, Schiffer. You were arrested by Soul Society but fled. You are an enemy." Byakuya announced. The captain then glanced at Miketsukami- who was just getting out of the shadows again- and said, "You are also an enemy for attacking Soul Society. Prepare to be destroyed."

Miketsukami chuckled and said, "Let's get this over with."

Miketsukami was the first to attack. He swung his arm up in a swift motion and Byakuya's shadow instantly spiked up to attack him. The leader of the sixth division quickly jumped out of the way while shooting another Byakurai at him. While the shadow user jumped away from Byakuya's attack, Ulquiorra appeared behind him and slashed at his back, creating a deep gash in him. Miketsukami coughed out some blood and glared at Ulquiorra.

"I have to get back to Yamato," he said while transitioning his gaze between the two enemies, "so I'll be ending your lives very quickly."

Ulquiorra and Byakuya stayed silent as they watched Miketsukami. The teenage boy closed his eyes and drew his arms up. Opening his eyes- revealing that they had changed from a brownish shade to a deep, dark black- he quickly pointed his arms towards the two. Shadows dispersed from his hands and flew at great speeds towards the two. The two of them tried to block with their zanpakutos, but it was to no avail. The shadows were too strong and they swiftly cut the teenage boy's enemies.

Once the shadows cleared, Miketsukami saw Ulquiorra and Byakuya slowly getting back up while they were covered in scratches and cuts.

Regaining his posture, Ulquiorra glanced at the boy and said, "You have taken away my sun. For that, I will dispose of you as the trash you are so that I can quickly retrieve her."

Byakuya watched as Ulquiorra stood straight up, pointed a finger at the boy, and said, "Cero."

A dark green light quickly formed at the hollow's finger and shot off towards Miketsukami. The shadow user- wide eyed and terrified- tried to jump out of the way, but it was pointless. He was consumed in the explosion.

"So I believe this fight is now between the two of us," Ulquiorra said, turning his gaze towards Byakuya.

"Senbonsakura," Byakuya said.

Ulquiorra prepared himself for the attack, only to be surprised when the attack wasn't aimed towards him. Turning back to the smoke that was clearing from his cero, he noticed that Miketsukami was indeed alive and struggling to get back up. Ulquiorra then noticed the millions of petals flying towards the teenage boy, finally hitting him. The espada walked towards the boy and saw Miketsukami lying on the ground, bloodier than ever.

"He is dead," the hollow finally announced.

"Yes." Byakuya said.

Ulquiorra suddenly launched towards Byakuya, swinging Murcielago down without any mercy. The captain blocked the attack and shot a Byakurai at him. Ulquiorra quickly dodged and was about to shoot a cero until he saw the older man walking away.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To find an enemy," Byakuya answered, not even glancing his way.

"I am your enemy, you said so yourself."

"I've changed my mind."

"Why?"

Byakuya stopped in his tracks and said, "I have overheard you three say that Inoue, Orihime is not a traitor and that she is the only one who can kill their leader. She has been planning a rebellion against them. Also, she is my sister's friend."

Ulquiorra could not help but stand wide-eyed at the captain's remark. Byakuya Kuchiki showing mercy towards who was being considered an enemy to Soul Society, it was immensely strange. The captain flash-stepped away to find a new opponent, leaving the hollow gaping.

"Maybe not all of these shinigamis are _trash." _

**Author's Note: So the very first death so far in this war was Miketsukami! Now, here is the preview for the next chapter:** "Stop!" Lyon demanded, trying to wiggle his way out of the kid's grip. "Please, stop! Mia, run!" **Next chapter is 2 Vs 2 again, one of the duos being the twins! Who do you think the other duo is? See you next time! :D**


	39. Chapter 39

**Author's Note: Wow, already on chapter 39! I hope you guys enjoy and please review! **

Chapter 39: Ichigo and Rukia Vs Lyon and Mia

The orange haired shinigami and his girlfriend have been running for what seemed like an eternity. The two had been searching for an opponent, but was finding it quite difficult. Finally, a ray of luck had struck the two as they sensed a pair of spiritual pressure- or at least they had _thought_ they had been lucky at the time.

"Rukia." Ichigo said as he stopped running and put his hand on Zangetsu.

"Yes, I sense them." Rukia replied.

"Come out, now."

"Well, Mia, it seems they know we are here!" the couple heard a male voice say.

"It's not like we were really hiding anyways," a female voice replied.

Two people came out from an alley and presented themselves. They were definitely twins. One of them- the male- had pastel green hair while the other- the female- had pastel pink hair. To be honest, Ichigo thought that his own hair color was normal for a second.

"Hey there, shinigami-girl and human-boy." Lyon greeted, hands in his pockets.

"You two are the ones that we saw last time… Mia and Lyon Horikawa, am I correct?" Rukia inquired.

"Ding, ding, ding! Yes, yes we are! And you are Rukia Kuchiki, lieutenant of the 13th squad and sister of the sixth squad captain, Byakuya Kuchiki. You, on the other hand, are just some dumb human with powers."

Ichigo's face presented anger and he remarked, "Oh, you mean like you?"

"You boys are wasting our time. Let's get this over with." Mia instructed with her hands on her hips.

"That sounds wise." Rukia said calmly.

Ichigo leapt towards Lyon with his zanpakuto ready to tear through the enemy's flesh. Lyon jumped out of the way and gave Mia a nod of his head. In that instant, the twins rubbed their temples with their index and middle fingers as they closed their eyes. Opening their eyes once again, they surprised Ichigo and Rukia. Their eye colors had went from gray to a deep, dark red. They were eyes as red as blood. The siblings then placed their arms to their sides. That was the last thing Ichigo and Rukia had seen before passing out.

* * *

Rukia's eyes slowly started to flutter open. At first, she didn't know that since it was pitch black. Realization then hit the girl as she remembered that she was just in a fight with her boyfriend against a set of twins with strange hair. The lieutenant frantically glanced around the dark for a glimpse of bright, orange hair. Worry seeped into her mind when she found herself unable to find Ichigo.

"Ichigo?" she called out.

There was no reply.

"Is anybody there?"

Once again, no reply.

"Ichigo! Where are you!?" the young girl cried out as tears started to fall from her eyes.

"I'm right here, pipsqueak," she heard a familiar voice say. "I can't see you at all."

"What happened?"

"I don't know. Those people did something and then we passed out."

"Hey, Mia, they're awake," the couple heard the green haired boy announce.

"Duh, I can see that, moron." Mia replied. "Let's get this over with so we can get back to Orihime."

Rukia yelped as she felt a sharp pain at her abdomen.

"Rukia!?" Ichigo cried out.

"You should be worrying about yourself!" Lyon said as he inflicted a similar wound to Ichigo.

Ichigo coughed some blood out and began to pant.

"Our power is obviously to control dreams. We made you sleep, so here we are." Mia said.

"It's convenient." Lyon said.

The couple felt many more pains and heard many more cries from their partners. Suddenly, it all stopped.

"I really hate humans." Lyon announced.

"You are a human too!" Ichigo shouted.

"No. Humans are evil creatures. Do you know how many nightmares I had? Do you know how many were about them killing us? Killing Mia? There were many. That's why our power is ironic."

"Revenge isn't-"

Ichigo felt a sharp, steady pain form in his chest. Lyon had drawn out a small dagger and was slowly carving into him.

"L-Lyon, we don't have to torture them. We just have to kill them…" Mia said.

"No! They deserve it! After everything we've been through, I'm surprised you aren't doing the same!"

* * *

_FLASHBACK_

The two twins sat in the dirt, piling it up to form little mountains. The toddlers had no friends, nobody else to talk to. Their parents didn't care for them. They didn't matter. They were only shown kindness by each other.

"Hey, look! It's those freaks!" a boy said, walking towards the two kids with his other friends.

"Their hair is so weird!" another boy replied, kicking some dirt at the two.

"Hey, stop!" Lyon demanded, noticing the dirt hitting his sister.

"Lyon… please just leave it alone." Mia quietly pleaded.

"What are you going to do about it!?" the dirt kicker asked.

Lyon gave a dirty look at the boy before being punched in the face.

"This will teach you!" the original child shouted.

"Lyon, run!" Mia instructed, grabbing her brother's hand and pulling him with her.

The two kids ran and ran until their legs got sore. Finding an alley, they decided to take refuge in it until they were sure that the tormenters were gone. Unfortunately, the bullies had found them. Walking up to the terrified kids, the leader of the group grabbed Mia by her pink hair. Lyon tried to stop him but was grabbed by two of the other kids.

"Maybe you should've listened to your sister," the child said, still having a firm grasp on the pink hair.

"Let her go!"

"I don't think so."

The kid then threw her into a wall, causing a little bit of blood to spurt out of her mouth. Tears fell from her eyes as she struggled to regain her posture. He then proceeded to kick her in the gut, causing her to hunch over.

"Stop!" Lyon demanded, trying to wiggle his way out of the kid's grip. "Please, stop! Mia, run!"

Mia looked at her brother, blood and tears on her face, and shook her head. "No," she said. "I am not leaving you with these idiots."

"What did you just call us!?"

Mia received another hard blow, this time to her face. The leader stomped on her and kicked her. Lyon's eyes were flooded with tears as he watched his sister get beaten up, unable to do a thing.

"Let's go," the leader finally said. "I'm bored of them already."

The other boys snickered and followed their group leader, leaving Lyon to run to his sister's aid. The girl was unconscious and bloodied.

"_I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL."_

_END OF FLASHBACK_

* * *

"YOU ARE ALL DONE FOR!" Lyon cried out as he continued to carve into Ichigo's skin. "YOUR DREAMS ARE CONTROLLED BY US, YOU HAVE NO CHANCE! YOU DESERVE THIS! MIA AND I DIDN'T DESERVE BEING TORMENTED. YOU DESERVE-"

Lyon was interrupted by a firm hand grabbing his wrist. The green haired teen noticed Ichigo's spiritual pressure rising.

"How did you-"

"You said that you are controlling our dreams," the orange haired boy started, "then it's simple. We will just have to take back that control."

Ichigo looked up, revealing piercing blue eyes- the ones that appear whenever his spiritual pressure is overflowing, such as when he fought Kenpachi. "Getsuga… Tenshou!"

* * *

Ichigo and Rukia instantly jolted up from their sitting position on the ground. They looked at each other and smiled, for they had made it out. The orange haired shinigami definitely had more severe injuries than his girlfriend, but he was going to be alright.

"Hey, Lyon," the two heard Mia say, "I think we lost this one."

"Yeah, I guess we did." Lyon replied. He turned his gaze towards the two and said, "Look, kill me if you want, just let her go."

"Lyon, no-"

"We weren't going to kill you guys anyways." Ichigo said, sheathing his zanpakuto.

"H-Huh?"

"We aren't?" Rukia asked.

"No. They've been through enough already. Let's go. Inoue and Ulquiorra need us." Ichigo said. He glanced back at the two and said, "Don't try to fight us again. Just hurry up and heal so you can get out of here."

"Ichigo, don't you think-"

"They are Inoue's friends. We let Ulquiorra live, and so far he is proving himself to be better. We should give these two a chance too."

Rukia smiled and said, "You are right."

"Later, you two."

The two shinigami flash-stepped away, leaving the stunned twins on the ground.

"Interesting…" Lyon said, gaining his sister's attention.

"What?"

"I guess not _all _humans are so bad."

"…I guess not."

"Especially Orihime."

"Wow, you must really like her."

"I do. Which is why we should help her."

"Help her? What do you mean?"

"Well, we are a little useless right now, but after this war ends, we can help her with anything."

"That sounds nice."

The twins lied on the ground until sleep overcame them.

* * *

"Ichigo, do you sense that?" the short lieutenant asked.

"Yeah, I think it's their leader." Ichigo answered.

"Let's hurry!"

The two ran towards the spiritual pressure. An even bloodier battle waited for them to see, but they would not be participating in it. No, they were the mere spectators. This wasn't their battle, it was Orihime's.

**Author's Note: Finally, the moment we have all been waiting for: Orihime's fight with Yamato. Here is the preview: **Orihime quickly planted her feet into the ground and placed her palms in front of her. Determination immediately filled her and she started to glow from the spiritual pressure- like the time she saved Rukia. "KOTEN ZANSHUN!" the girl cried out. **Please review and tell me what you think so far! :) **


	40. Chapter 40: The Final Battle

**Author's Note: Time for the final battle. Be prepared for some shocking stuff! **

Chapter 40: The Final Battle

"Chiharu-san, wait up please!" Orihime begged as she tried to keep up with her comrade.

"Shush! We are approaching him! Remember the plan?" the hooded girl asked.

"Yes, but I don't think we should use it! It's dangerous!"

"I'll be fine, Inoue. Just do it as we planned."

"Yes…"

The two girls continued to run until they saw Yamato in the distance.

"Now!"

Orihime ran to hide herself in the thick woods while Chiharu continued to run towards their "leader". Approaching the old man, she stopped and placed her hands in her pockets. The old man turned around to face her.

"What are you doing here, Chiharu?" he asked. "You are supposed to be destroying the humans."

"Yeah, I'm not really up to it right now old man." Chiharu replied.

"Chiharu, I swear that if you do not-"

Just then, people started to appear. Ulquiorra, Ichigo, Rukia, Toshiro, Ukitake, Kyoraku, Shinji, and the two humans that had just arrived in Soul Society: Uryu and Sado. Yamato casually glanced at the people surrounding them and then back to the hooded girl in front of him.

"Chiharu, take care of these people." Yamato demanded.

"No thanks, not feeling it," the girl remarked.

"You really should be doing as I say, or else I won't bring your mother back."

"I've accepted that years ago. Until now, I've been planning on murdering you. Now, I'm going through with it, dad."

"Dad?" Ulquiorra asked, keeping his gaze on Chiharu.

The girl looked at him and said, "Yes. This bastard is my dad. When I was eight, he killed me and my mom. Then, the sick bastard only brought me back to life and has been offering me my mom's life if I did as he said. I slowly started to realize that everything he said was a lie."

Yamato chuckled and said, "Your mom must be really sad to see that you aren't willing to do whatever it takes to bring her back to life."

"You would have never brought her back anyways! You were just stringing me along!" Chiharu cried out, her spiritual pressure spiking from rage.

"Well then, let me just end you."

"I won't let you."

Chiharu took a rigid stance and took a deep breath. Though nobody could see it, her eyes had turned completely black. She placed her hands out in front of her, facing towards Yamato. Then, the skies started to turn cloudy and dark. At her palms, a black orb was forming, growing bigger and bigger each second.

"These are all of the negative thoughts that I've gathered in my mind. About 99% of them are about you. I've been saving them just for this occasion."

Yamato simply stood with a straight face.

"Goodbye, dad."

Chiharu threw the humungous black, negative energy at the old man. A huge, loud explosion resulted from it, causing smoke to fill the air and fire to burn down trees and buildings. Once the smoke cleared, Yamato was revealed to be completely fine.

"Did you really think that was going to work?" he asked.

"No, but I believe this did."  
Yamato quickly turned around to see Orihime already sending Tsubaki towards him. She wore a look of pain having to have to hurt somebody else. Yamato smiled as he carelessly dodged the incoming attack.

"You are all idiots. Of course I expected her to be against me. Nobody just forgives somebody for threatening to take away their lover's lives. I expected this from the beginning."

Orihime's eyes widened.

"_Oh no."_

Yamato turned towards Orihime and pulled out a knife. He then glanced at Chiharu and said, "Hey, look. It's the knife I killed you and your mother with." He then returned his gaze to the frightened orange haired beauty and strode towards her. She was unable to move, unable to think.

Everybody was highly surprised at what had happened next. Green _rain _came pouring down as they caught a glimpse of black hair fly towards Yamato. After a moment, Ichigo and Uryu realized what was going on. It was Ulquiorra's second release stage. His spiritual pressure was heavy, almost causing some of them to fall to the ground, and alarmed the captains. He flew towards Yamato and swung down with all of his might. Although he was barely able to block it, the old man was sent flying, hitting many trees and buildings along the way.

Ulquiorra walked towards Orihime. She looked into his eyes and smiled.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra," she said.

"There is no need to thank me. I shall go dispose of him."

Yamato stood up, regaining his stoic posture. Anger welled inside of him and it was quite visible. He then began to slowly lift his arms. Only Orihime and Chiharu knew what this meant: he was going to take away Ulquiorra's life.

Orihime quickly planted her feet into the ground and placed her palms in front of her. Determination immediately filled her and she started to glow from the spiritual pressure- like the time she saved Rukia. "KOTEN ZANSHUN!" the girl cried out.

Tsubaki flew towards their enemy faster than a bullet. Hell, it was faster than the speed of light. There was no way Yamato could dodge. Tsubaki instantly ran through his stomach, almost cutting him in half like Aizen did to Hiyori. The old man fell to the hard ground, blood quickly oozing from his wound and spurting from his mouth. Orihime slowly put her arms down and her glow began to fade. She could feel everybody's eyes on her, but she couldn't lift her gaze from the ground. Although the man deserved it, she did not feel right attacking him.

"Onna," she heard Ulquiorra say from behind her.

"Ulquiorra."

"Are you alright?"

"…He was going to kill you, I had no choice."

"I know."

Orihime couldn't stop the tears that freely flowed from her grey eyes. She turned around and tightly embraced Ulquiorra, quietly sobbing onto his chest. Suddenly, they heard loud, maniac-like chuckling. They all looked at the spot where Orihime had attacked Yamato, only to find him struggling to stand, blood quickly falling from him and seeping into the dirt.

"Did you really…" he started, "think… that you would have… been able to kill me!?"

Orihime's eyes, along with everybody else's, were wide from shock. How could he be alive? Hell, he couldn't even stand properly, for he felt like the top part of his body were to fall off at any second! How could he possibly be alive!?

"Yamato, stop!" Orihime begged. "You can't fight anymore! Just stop already!"

The old man lifted his head to glare at the girl. "No, but I can do this."

He quickly raised his hand, about to end Ulquiorra's life. None of them were fast enough to stop him. Just as he was about to snap, flames shot out of the ground where he was standing, causing him to quickly become nothing but ash.

Everybody there turned to see the Head Captain standing in the distance with his sword released.

"That's enough of this idiotic war," he said, sheathing his zanpakuto. "Everybody, into my meeting area. Now."

* * *

All of the captains lined up where they usually do while Orihime, Ulquiorra, Ichigo, Rukia, Uryu, Sado, and Chiharu stood in between them and in front of the Head Captain.

"Inoue, Orihime. Step forward." Yamamoto instructed.

"Yes," the orange haired girl said, stepping forward.

"I have been informed by Captain Kuchiki that you had been planning to defeat them from the inside since the beginning. Is this true?"

"Yes."

"Why did you not inform us of this so we could help and prepare ourselves?"

"They would've killed Ulquiorra if I did. There's no way I would let them do that."

"I see," he said, standing up and then bowing, surprising everybody in the room. "Inoue, Orihime, I apologize for believing you to be a traitor once again."

"Uhh, no, no! It's okay! I should have informed you!"

"However, Ulquiorra Schiffer had run away when we were going to arrest him, aided by Kurosaki Ichigo, Lieutenant Kuchiki, Uryu Ishida, and Sado Yasutora. There is no excuse to this. We even let an enemy into our meeting room. Unacceptable."

"I am sorry, Head Captain, but I will not let you arrest my friends, is that clear?" Orihime fearlessly asked, not averting her frightening gaze. Some would say it reminded them of Unohana. "Also, Chiharu-san isn't our enemy. She helped me plan this out and go through with it."

Yamato looked at the hooded girl and said, "Fine, I will allow her to live in the World of the Living. Along with everybody else."

"Thank you, sir!"

"Dismissed."

* * *

The seven of them returned to the World of the Living. They were now standing outside of Orihime and Ulquiorra's apartment.

Ulquiorra walked towards Chiharu and said, "I am thanking you for helping the onna with this."

Chiharu laughed and said, "No problem, lover-boy."

"Where are you going now?"

"Who knows? I'll probably just go find a job somewhere and live a pretty crappy life."

"I see."

"See you later, lover-boy."

"Goodbye."

Chiharu started to walk away. Once she was far enough to the point the others couldn't hear them, Orihime ran to her friend. The hooded girl turned around and smiled at her.

"You like him, don't you?" Orihime asked.

"Don't worry, he's obsessed with you."

"Good luck, Chiharu-san." Orihime embraced the girl in a tight hug. "Thank you for everything!"

"I should be thanking you, Inoue. You were very strong."

Orihime stepped back and wore a friendly grin. Then, her grin turned into a devilish smile as she suddenly leapt forward and removed the girl's hood. Beautiful, light brown hair fell to the girl's waist. Her eyes were revealed to be almost a beautiful golden brown.

Chiharu instantly stood up, blushing, and asked, "What the hell are you doing!?"

Orihime giggled and answered, "So that's what you look like underneath that grey hood! You are beautiful, Chiharu-san, you should stop wearing that hood!"

Chiharu blushed even more as she turned around and said, "Not happening!"

"Goodbye, Chiharu-san! Visit us!"

"I'll think about it! Goodbye, though, Inoue. You too, lover-boy!"

Once the girl was out of sight, Orihime turned to look at her friends. They all greeted her with welcoming, warm smiles. She returned the gesture. Ichigo, Rukia, Uryu, and Sado headed out, leaving Orihime and Ulquiorra.

She turned to look at him and said, "I missed you so much, Ulquiorra."

"As did I, onna."

Orihime was greatly surprised when she was suddenly lifted over the boy's shoulder.

"Ul-Ulquiorra!? What are you doing!?"

The hollow held the girl over his shoulder while opening the door to the apartment. "I am not letting you go again. You are to stay with me at all times."

Orihime's face immediately turned red and she began flailing her arms. "W-Why!?"

"Because, onna, the whole time you were absent has been the worst time of my insignificant life. You are not to leave my side."

"What about sleep!?"

"I suppose we will have to do that together as well."

Orihime's blush deepened to its full extent and she cried out, "What!?"

"It was a joke, onna."

"Oh."

"Sort of."

He then carried her to her room and plopped her onto her bed. Orihime was more than glad to finally be in her fluffy bed again. She innocently looked up at the espada and smiled. She wasn't expecting him to get under the blankets with her, but he did.

"Sleep, onna."

"B-But you are in my bed!"

"Yes, I am."

"I can't sleep with you in my bed!"

"Hush, onna," he said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her on the forehead. "Sleep."

Orihime, whose face was as red as a tomato, silently agreed to his request and snuggled closer to him. She closed her eyes to drift into sleep.

"I love you, Ulquiorra Schiffer," she sleepily said.

"I love you, Orihime Inoue."

**Author's Note: Well, this is the end of Everyone Can Change. I hope that you enjoyed this story, because it is now done and over with... Just kidding. It's not. Here's the preview for the next chapter: **Orihime and Ulquiorra exited the high school holding hands. The orange haired girl quickly recognized the two twins waiting for her- how could she not? Their hair did make them stand out. A smile instantly appeared on her face as she ran towards the two to embrace them in a hug- not noticing the dirty looks Ulquiorra gave the twins. **So yeah, the war is over now. Well, I will see you all next time and don't forget to review! :D**


	41. Chapter 41: Epilogue to the War

**Author's Note: Sorry for the absence! I was on vacation and now I'm finally back, so there will be no more absences! Hopefully. :D**

Chapter 41: Epilogue to the War

"Onna, it is time to wake up."

Orihime slowly opened her eyes and turned to see her boyfriend, Ulquiorra, in bed with her. Her face immediately became flustered as she frantically sat up in bed. She quickly remembered that they had slept in the same bed because he was worried about her.

"Ulquiorra! Good morning!" she said with a smile though she was still blushing.

"Onna, there is no time for that. We need to get to school. You have missed enough days. If you wish to become more intelligent than the Quincy, you are going to have to attend."

"Fine, fine. But you have to get out so that I can change."

"How ridiculous."

Ulquiorra left the room, leaving Orihime to sit back and think about the previous day. She almost killed Yamato, Ulquiorra almost died, she and her friends were deemed not guilty by Soul Society, and she had slept in the same bed as her boyfriend. For the most part, it was a pretty good day.

The orange haired girl got up to get dressed into her uniform when a thought popped into her head. "_I wonder what happened to Mia and Lyon… and everyone else."_

Orihime then left to school with Ulquiorra, but the thought wouldn't leave her mind.

* * *

"Yui, Ritsu! It's time for breakfast!" Naoki shouted through the small house.

"Hurray!" Ritsu cried out while running to the dining room.

"Hey, is your sister okay to walk here or should I bring her, her food?"

"I'm fine, Naoki," the two heard from the other side of the room. Yui walked towards them with a limp. "Hey, Daisuke, what are we having today?"

The little boy came out of the kitchen with a plate of sunny-side-up eggs, bacon, and sausages. He handed it to the blonde teenager with a grin. He then sketched three more plates of the same meal and handed them out to the two others and himself.

Yui stared at their new family and recalled how this all came to be.

_FLASHBACK_

Yui somehow managed to make it back to the World of the Living, but not unharmed. Her battle with Rangiku had nearly left her unconscious but she had to find her little sister. Limping for what seemed like hours, she finally found the child with tears on her cheeks, crying next to Naoki- who was still lying on the ground.

"R-Ritsu!" Yui somehow managed to cry out.

The little blonde looked at her sister and immediately became filled with worry as she shouted, "Nee-san!" She ran towards the bleeding girl and caught her as she was about to fall.

Waking up, Yui felt something soft underneath her. It was a bed. Surprised, she quickly sat up, forgetting about the wounds on her stomach and crouching over when they opened once again.

"Ritsu? Naoki?" she called out.

"Hey, Yui." Naoki said walking into the room. "Like the bed?"

"Uhh, yeah. But where are we?"

"Our new home."

"Our what!? Where's Ritsu!?"

"She's playing in the living room with Daisuke. I'm surprised you didn't hear them; the house isn't that big."

"Wait, so you actually bought a house?"

"Well, with being able to transform myself into different people, I found it pretty easy to steal from them. So yes, I did buy this house."

"For the four of us?"

"Yes."

Yui smiled and instantly jumped out of the bed to hug the boy. She then planted a kiss on his lips, forgetting about her wounds once again. The two of them had been dating for a while, so buying a house with him felt fantastic. She then remembered her sister and ran into the living room.

"Ritsu!" she cried out once she saw her sister. The blonde then proceeded to tightly hug the child.

"Nee-san, you are choking me!" Ritsu said. "You should be in bed! You need your rest!"

"I'm fine, I promise! Your sister isn't some weakling!"

The blonde child giggled and said, "You're right!"

_END OF FLASHBACK_

Yui giggled and began to eat her food.

* * *

Chiharu walked and walked, not knowing where she was going. The girl had stopped wearing her hood, remembering the kind words from Orihime. Now that she had avenged her mother, she didn't know what to do. Sensing familiar spiritual pressures, she decided to pursue them. Approaching a small house, she politely knocked on the door. The door opened, revealing Daisuke covered in marker.

"Chiharu!" he cried out, jumping into her opened arms.

"Hey, Daisuke," she replied, wrapping her arms around him.

"Come in!"

Daisuke dragged the girl inside of the house and she saw Yui, Naoki, and Ritsu still eating breakfast.

"Hey, Chiharu." Yui greeted.

"Yui."

"What brings you here?"

"…I don't know. I don't really have anywhere to go, so I thought I would bother you for a bit."

"Why don't you stay with us!?" Daisuke shouted.

Chiharu glanced towards Yui, wondering if she would mind.

Yui gently smiled- completely different to her normal demeanor- and said, "You can stay, Chiharu."

The girl smiled as well as she began to color with the little boy. She thought about Orihime and Ulquiorra, wondering what they were doing right now and if things were any different between the two.

"_I'm sure they're fine," _she thought with a smile on her face. "_Lover-boy wouldn't let a good girl go to waste like that."_

* * *

"Hurry up, Lyon!" Mia demanded, walking ahead of him.

"I'm exhausted!" the teen replied. "Unlike you, I was actually hurt in that battle!"

"Shut up and keep walking! We have to find Orihime!"

"…Fine."

"So, do you still love her?"

"I didn't _love _her."

"Okay, do you still _like her a lot?"_

"How could I not?"

"Why don't you ask her out?"

"Because she's already got a boyfriend that she is head-over-heels for."

"Who'd of thought that would stop you?"

"Shut up already."

"What are we even doing anyways?"

"We are going to tell Orihime that we are sorry for dragging her into that stupid war, taking her away from her boyfriend, and we are going to tell her that this is goodbye."

Mia frowned and asked, "Why don't we just stay with her to help her like we were already planning?"

"Her life was perfectly fine before meeting us. I think this is for the best," the boy with pastel green hair answered with a very glum look on his face.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, are you?"

"I don't know… She was kind of like a best friend after a while."

"I know. But it's for the best."

"Fine."

* * *

Orihime and Ulquiorra exited the high school holding hands. The orange haired girl quickly recognized the two twins waiting for her- how could she not? Their hair did make them stand out. A smile instantly appeared on her face as she ran towards the two to embrace them in a hug- not noticing the dirty looks Ulquiorra gave the twins.

"Mia! Lyon! It's great to see you!" the excited girl exclaimed.

"It's great to see you too, Orihime." Lyon agreed.

Orihime then noticed their wounds. "Come on, I'll heal your wounds."

The four of them then walked back to the girl's apartment and she immediately healed them.

"Hey, Orihime," Mia started, "we have some things to tell you…"

"Okay!" the cheery girl replied.

"Well, first off, we are sorry."

"Sorry?"

"For unnecessarily dragging you into the war." Lyon said.

"And from taking you away from your friends." Mia added.

"It's okay, you guys," the kind girl replied. "I forgave you for that long ago!"

The twins smiled and said, "That's not all, Orihime."

Lyon sadly sighed and said, "Orihime, this is goodbye."

The orange haired girl's smile instantly disappeared after hearing those words and she asked, "What?"

"You'll be better off without us and you've already done enough for us. It's time we leave."

"W-Where are you going? I am not better off without you! You are my friends!"

"Yes, you are."

"We don't know where we are going yet." Mia announced. "But it'll be full of people that don't judge us for our hair. We won't have to stay inside all of the time now. We'll finally be _free._"

"B-But you can just live with us!" Orihime stated, surprising Ulquiorra- who wore a slightly annoyed look on his face after hearing that.

"We can't. We didn't die much long ago and we went to your school, we lived in this town. People are sure to recognize us. We would have to stay inside 24/7 to make sure that people didn't recognize us as the twins that killed themselves a few years back. Hell, our parents are still alive. They might even see us. We can't truly be free if we are practically put in house arrest."

Orihime's eyes watered and her lip quivered. "But you guys are my friends."

"I know." Lyon said. "But you have to let us go. Move on from this dreadful experience."

"I-I-"

"Please… do it for us? If you can't do it for yourself, then do it for us."

"…Alright."

The twins stood from their chairs and hugged the girl tightly. Lyon and Ulquiorra exchanged deadly glares, which went unnoticed by the orange haired girl- who was now crying.

"Hey, you," Lyon started, his gaze set on Ulquiorra, "you better not hurt her."

"I am tired of hearing this from people," the green eyed man replied.

"I mean it, or I will come back."

"Orihime, can I get a drink before we go?" Mia asked, dragging the girl to the kitchen so the boys can talk in private.

"You hold high affection for the onna." Ulquiorra stated, not averting his glare.

"Yeah, so what?" Lyon retorted.

"I will never hurt the onna."

Lyon's glare softened as he said, "That's all I needed to hear. Mia, let's go."

"Okay!" Mia replied, walking back with two bottled waters in her hands. She handed one to her brother as they walked towards the door.

The twins stopped at the door and said, "Goodbye, Orihime," and hugging her one more time.

"Goodbye, you guys!" she cried out as they walked away.

"Are you okay, onna?" Ulquiorra asked as she closed the door and turned around.

She smiled and replied, "Yes. They are going to be somewhere where they can be happy. I'm happy for them."

Ulquiorra walked up to the girl and wiped away her tears.

"_The war is now done and over with," _she thought as she held Ulquiorra's hand to her face. "_I'm sure everyone else had a happy ending."_

**Author's Note: **Orihime puffed out her bottom lip and grumpily placed the orange, plump costume back on the rack. Everyone's eyes were on her, surprised that a cheery girl like her could be put into a state of annoyance. But then again, she is with Ulquiorra, so they figured it must not be too unordinary. **You guys should send me ideas for some future chapters! I think it would be fun to turn your ideas into some chapters! Well, please review! :D**


	42. Chapter 42: Costume Shopping

**Author's Note: I really want to make a new Ulquihime story! I would still be writing this one, but a new one sounds fun! Like, an AU! I'll have to think about it more! :D**

Chapter 42: Costume Shopping

"Onna, I am not trying that on." Ulquiorra stated.

Orihime, Ulquiorra, Tatsuki, Ichigo, Rukia, Sado, Uryu, Keigo, Mizuiro, and Chizuru stood, surrounded by many different costumes and accessories. The ten of them were in a party store, shopping for Halloween- which happened to be two weeks away.

"Oh come on, Ulqui-kun!" Orihime said, still holding the pumpkin costume. "We can both be pumpkins!"

"I do not understand the purpose of dressing in such ridiculous attire."

"It's to have _fun, _Ulquiorra. Okay, how about you dress up as a pirate."

"I find no need to participate in this _fun."_

Orihime puffed out her bottom lip and grumpily placed the orange, plump costume back on the rack. Everyone's eyes were on her, surprised that a cheery girl like her could be put into a state of annoyance. But then again, she is with Ulquiorra, so they figured it must not be too unordinary.

"Orihime, do you even know what _you _are going to be this year?" Tatsuki asked.

The orange haired girl turned to look at her best friend and shrugged. "I was going to help everybody else with theirs first."

"Wait, but why are we here so early?" Ichigo asked, skimming through the men's racks of colorful costumes, a look of boredom spread onto his face. "Halloween is two weeks away, Inoue."

"Exactly, Kurosaki-kun! We only have two weeks left to buy the perfect costumes!"

Uryu pushed his glasses up as he said, "I would personally rather make my own costume, Inoue-san."

"Ishida-kun, I know you're very talented with this type of stuff, but this is different! It's Halloween! You should take a break and just buy one this year!"

Rukia finally decided to join the conversation by asking, "Isn't Halloween celebrated by children?"

They had never seen Orihime's mouth hung that wide open. "Kuchiki-san, Halloween is celebrated by people of all ages!"

"But aren't we a little too old to be trick or treating?" Mizuiro asked while checking the size of a banana costume.

"Of course not!" Keigo cried out. "It's free candy, why would we ever miss out on such an opportunity like that!?"

Orihime laughed and high-fived the obnoxious boy- who had just received a deadly glare from her boyfriend, making him sink back to Mizuiro's side.

"We should go to a haunted house!" Chizuru suggested, rummaging through the female section of the store.

"That sounds fun." Rukia stated, smiling at her boyfriend.

"Well," Orihime started, "we can't go to a haunted house without a costume, so hurry up!"

Soon enough, the large group separated into twos, all looking for the perfect costume to wear for Halloween. Ichigo and Rukia paired up- of course- and went to the girls' side of the store. Noticing that she was too small for the adults' section, Ichigo directed Rukia to the younger kids' section, causing the girl to blush with embarrassment at her petite form.

"Hey, pipsqueak, what about this one?" Ichigo asked, holding up a pink fairy costume. The costume was frilly and looked as if it was dumped into a pool of glitter. It was obviously made for children, for it even came with a matching pink wand.

Rukia hit him upside the head as she said, "Idiot. I'm not wearing that! I am not a child!" The short girl continued her quest to find the right costume when her eyes finally landed on a red and black devil outfit. She took it off of the rack for further investigation. The costume was a red and black dress that came with black leggings, a devil's tail, and devil ears. Her eyes sparkled at the sight of it. "I want this one!"

Ichigo, who was still rubbing his head from the attack, glanced at the costume and gave a little nod. "Figures you would like something like that. But you know, Rukia, the point of Halloween is to dress up as something you aren't."

Rukia hit him once again, this time harder, and then noticed the orange haired boy was holding a costume. "Which one are you getting?"

He held out the clothing and said, "Cowboy."

Rukia nodded and the two went to buy their costumes.

* * *

"Sado-kun, what are you dressing up as?" Uryu asked the tanned boy.

In response, the giant teen held up a plastic bag that held nothing but a red mask with intricate golden patterns, red shorts, and a huge golden belt.

"What is that?"

"A wrestler. What about you?"

"Well, because Inoue-san isn't letting me just make my own, I guess I'll just have to go with this," he replied, holding up a costume of a cop.

"…"

"What?"

"Nothing, I just never expected you to dress up as a cop."

"I never imagined to be dressing up at all. But Inoue-san told me I have to, so I didn't really have a choice."

"Yeah, same here."

* * *

"Mizuiro, you have to be the mustard!" Keigo cried out, following his best friend through the store.

"No, I am being a banana," the boy calmly replied, searching through his phone for any older girls to text.

"Put your phone away and get the condiments costume with me!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Why do I have to match with you!?"

"Because we are best friends!"

"So!?"

"Just do it!"

"Why can't you just be ketchup by yourself!?"

"You can't just have ketchup! It needs mustard too so that it can blend in perfect harmony!"

"I want to be the banana! If you really want to match, then go get that grapes costume!"

Keigo glanced around the shop until his eyes landed on the purple costume. It would have to be inflated before he left the house, but it would be matching. He quickly picked up the fruit costume and ran along with his best friend.

* * *

"Don't you think you should dress a little more, I don't know, _promiscuous?" _ Chizuru asked as she crossed her arms at Tatsuki, who held a karate costume in her hands. "Besides, you are a black belt in karate, why don't you actually dress up?"

Tatsuki quickly shot back, "Why the hell would I dress promiscuous?"

Chizuru simply smirked with a knowing look as she answered, "Well, you know, Orihime did say that _Grimmjow_ is visiting for Halloween."

Tatsuki's face instantly became red and she replied, "W-Who the hell cares about that!? Why would I care about that!?"

Sighing, Chizuru snatched the karate costume out of the girl's hands and dragged her away into the more daring costumes.

"I am not dressing like a slut!" Tatsuki shouted.

"I wasn't going to give you a slutty outfit anyways, idiot! Not all of these costumes are slutty!"

Tatsuki muttered something quietly to herself while Chizuru analyzed each of the colorful costumes. Her eyes sparkled when she found the perfect costume for her friend. Quickly grabbing it off of the rack, she placed it in her friend's arms.

"A ladybug?"

"Yes."

"…I guess it's not slutty."

"Duh."

"…I don't think I pull these kind of outfits off though, Chizuru." Tatsuki stated. The costume was simple. The top of it was a simple black shirt while the skirt was black with red polka dots. It came with a headband with antennas coming out of the top of it, both topped with a red cotton ball. It was a cute costume.

"Tatsuki, I know it's a little out of your comfort zone, but I promise that it will look great. Besides, you have to impress Grimmjow, don't you?"

Tatsuki's blush deepened as she retorted, "Shut up! Anyways, what are you getting?"

Chizuru smiled and showed the girl her costume. It was definitely more promiscuous than hers. It was a witch costume, consisting of a short, black dress that had a torn bottom. A black witch hat also came with the package.

"Who are _you_ getting dressed up for?" Tatsuki asked.

Chizuru shrugged and answered, "Well, since my lovely Orihime is finally in love, it's time I move on. So, I'm dressing up as a hot masterpiece!"

Tatsuki laughed and patted the girl on the shoulder. "I'm glad you finally moved on."

"Me too."

* * *

"Onna, why do you insist we match?" Ulquiorra asked, watching his girlfriend zip across the store, searching for perfect costumes.

"It will be cute, silly!" Orihime answered. "So far, I have narrowed it down to three different costumes that would be perfect for you. You could be a mime- in which I'll be a mime too. Or, you could be a bat, just like your released state- which means I would have to find a bat costume too. Or, you could be a pirate, which leaves me to either be also a pirate, your trustworthy parrot, or a princess! Which one do you think sounds like more fun?"

"Pirate."

Orihime smiled and announced, "That's what I was thinking!" She placed the other two costumes back on the racks. "Maybe we'll be one of those next year. So, what should I be then?"

Ulquiorra thought about the three options: pirate, parrot, or princess. He immediately tossed away the idea of her also being a pirate, leaving either a parrot or a princess. Although it would be nice to see Orihime dressed in a gown that would definitely fit her form well, he couldn't stop thinking of her in a parrot costume. He couldn't deny that it was pretty cute in his mind.

"Not the pirate," he finally answered.

Orihime placed a finger on her chin as she started thinking. "So either a parrot or a princess… Hmm… I'll just try them both on and see which one is better!"

The orange haired girl scurried into the fitting room while the green eyed hollow stood waiting for her. He imagined the girl in a bright green parrot costume first, and then he imagined her in a beautiful, pink dress. Finally, she stepped out of the dressing room with the pink costume on. Walking towards him, she smiled and started twirling, making the magnificent fabric swirl around her. Ulquiorra's eyes scanned her body discreetly.

"What do you think?" she asked with a smile on her face.

"It suits you," he answered.

"Okay, I'll go try the parrot costume now!"

After a few more minutes, she stepped back out, dressed as a bright green parrot. The costume covered her body, only leaving a hole for her face. It was like footie pajamas, and the costume had a hood for the parrots head with the beak.

"I like how fun this one is," she simply said walking towards him.

"It is… cute."

"Really?"

"Obviously, I had just said so."

Orihime laughed and said, "I guess you're right. I think I'm going to stick with the parrot costume!"

"As you wish."

* * *

The group of ten finally met together once more, all with their purchased costumes.

"See, matching costumes isn't stupid!" Keigo said to Mizuiro, who was now texting one of the many girls in his phone.

"It's different in their case. They are _dating," _Mizuiro replied, not even glancing his way.

"So, Orihime, are you two going to try out for the best costume?" Tatsuki asked.

"You should, your costumes are cute!" Rukia said.

"Try out?" Ulquiorra asked the orange haired girl.

"There's this contest every year to see who has the best costume! You and I should sign up!" she answered.

"Yes."

"_We will definitely win that contest with the onna dressed as this ridiculous yet somehow cute bird."_

**Author's Note: **The grey eyed girl obediently did as she was told and turned around. Ulquiorra couldn't help but notice the pink, lace bra she was wearing, but told himself to get his mind out of the gutter and stop acting like Grimmjow- who was on his way to the World of the Living to also find out what Halloween was like. **If you guys would like another story- this time AU- then you should let me know! :D Please review! **


	43. Chapter 43: Halloween

Chapter 43: Halloween

"Onna, you are taking too long, open up." Ulquiorra instructed, standing outside of Orihime's room.

The green eyed hollow wore the pirate costume that they had just bought him a couple of weeks ago. The costume consisted of a pair of black, slick pants, a white button up shirt, a black vest, pirate boots, a fake hook attachment, a black eye patch with crossbones on it, and of course, a black pirate hat. Ulquiorra would never say this aloud, but he had to admit that he looked rather ravishing. He was rather surprised when he found that he was checking himself out in the mirror.

"I-I can't reach the zipper in the back!" Orihime informed him.

"How did you get it on last time?"

"Well, I put it up as high as I could and then hoped that it wouldn't fall down."

"…Foolish onna. What if some low life, male human were to walk behind you and pull the costume off? It would have been quite easy if you had not zipped it up all the way. I would have been forced to dispose of him, thus causing another problem with Soul Society."

"I'm sorry! But I couldn't get the zipper up and I really wanted to show you!"

"Let me in so I can help you."

"N-No!"

"Onna, it is ridiculous that I cannot simply zip up your costume. I'm coming in."

Without further or do, the green eyed man entered the girl's room without waiting for permission. Though it had been more than two months of living with the human, he still had not picked up the meaning of privacy. Seeing Orihime's flustered face was always amusing him, he had no intention of letting that go.

"U-Ulquiorra, you have to learn some patience and privacy," the orange haired girl said, her face a deep shade of red as she tried to hold her costume together in the back.

"Onna, I have tied your swimsuit after it had fallen off, I think I am more than capable to zip up your costume," he replied, walking towards her. "Now turn around so I can zip it up."

The grey eyed girl obediently did as she was told and turned around. Ulquiorra couldn't help but notice the pink, lace bra she was wearing, but told himself to get his mind out of the gutter and stop acting like Grimmjow- who was on his way to the World of the Living to also find out what Halloween was like. Placing his hands on the zipper, he gently started to pull it up, letting his fingers lightly graze the girl's back. Satisfied with the quiet gasps that had escaped her mouth; he continued to zip the green costume up. When he had finished, he hovered over her shoulder and placed a kiss on her cheek, causing Orihime's cheeks to become even redder. She turned around and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in for a kiss, but before their lips met, they heard somebody banging on the door.

Orihime quickly pulled away from the kiss with a grin on her face as she said, "That must be Grimmjow!" She quickly ran downstairs, leaving Ulquiorra alone in her room to grasp at what had just happened.

"That damned Grimmjow," he started with a deep look of annoyance on his face, "always ruining everything."

"Grimmjow!" Orihime cried out as she opened the door to see the blue haired espada.

"Hey, princess!" Grimmjow greeted with his known grin. Orihime quickly hugged him and he returned the gesture.

"Get your hands off of her, trash." Ulquiorra demanded as he came down the stairs and noticed the two's friendly embrace.

"Hey look, it's bat-shit. Haven't seen you in a while, thank fucking god."

"Likewise."

"Hey guys, be nice!" Orihime instructed, placing her hands on her hips.

"Fine, fine." Grimmjow said.

"Hey, let's get you dressed into your costume!"

"Yeah, yeah, alright."

Orihime quickly scurried to her room and brought back a plastic bag carrying a brown costume. The two boys stared at it with curiosity, for they didn't know what it was. Pulling it out of the bag, Orihime revealed that the costume was similar to hers. It was a brown puppy costume. Grimmjow stared at the clothing in disgust while Ulquiorra tried his hardest to contain his laughter and simply smirked.

"What the fuck is that!?" Grimmjow cried out.

"It's your costume!" Orihime answered, smiling gently at him.

"I can't fucking wear that! You don't actually expect me to fucking wear that, do you!?"

Orihime stuck her bottom lip out and pouted at the sixth espada. The blue haired espada tried his best to look away and not give in, but let's face it; nobody could resist that face, not even Ulquiorra.

"Fine! God dammit, enough of that face already!"

Grimmjow snatched the costume and started to strip in front of the two. Orihime quickly turned around and covered her bright red face while Ulquiorra glared at Grimmjow for making her flustered.

"G-Grimmjow! You could have gotten dressed in the bathroom!" Orihime said.

"Too late, I already finished."

Orihime sighed and turned around to see Grimmjow shirtless. Noticing her face, the blue haired man instantly started to cackle and continued to pull up the zipper in the front.

"Onna, let's proceed to the contest already." Ulquiorra said, taking her hand.

"A-Alright!" she replied.

* * *

"What a lame costume!" Ichigo cried out after noticing Grimmjow's costume.

The 11 of them- Orihime, Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, Ichigo, Rukia, Uryu, Sado, Tatsuki, Chizuru, Keigo, and Mizuiro- stood in a publically filled building, as they looked at everybody's costumes. Ulquiorra noticed many girls revealing much of their skin. Looking back at his girlfriend, he was glad that she wasn't like them.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, it's time to find out the winners of our costume contest!" a man spoke into a microphone on stage. "The winner of the single costume category is…" he opened a white envelope, "Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez!"

"Yeah! That's right you fucking losers, I am the winner!" Grimmjow shouted as he ran towards the stage to collect his prize, which was a $50 gift card to McDonalds.

"Okay then…" the man with the microphone continued, "it's time to find out which couple won the couple's costume category and will be bringing home $1000!" He opened another envelope and said, "The winners are Orihime Inoue and Ulquiorra Schiffer for their pirate and parrot costumes!"

Orihime grinned and jumped up and down, clapping. Ulquiorra simply stood stoic as ever.

"_Of course we are the winners," _he thought.

"C'mon, Ulquiorra!" Orihime instructed, grabbing his hand and pulling him to the stage. The excited girl grabbed the check while everybody clapped for them. Exiting the stage, the orange haired beauty asked, "What are we going to do with this money?"

"Spend it wisely, onna, for it is all yours. I have no need for it," the green eyed man replied.

"It's both of ours, Ulquiorra! We'll just save it!"

"If you wish."

"Good job you guys!" Rukia said as the couple walked towards them.

"Thanks, Kuchiki-san!" Orihime replied.

"So what's next?" Tatsuki asked.

"The haunted house!"

The group of 11 walked until they approached a huge, dark building. The door was held open, revealing pitch black hallways. Shouts were heard from inside the building, suggesting that true terror was inside of that building. Ulquiorra looked to his girlfriend, expecting to see her shaking and cowering away, but instead saw the girl grinning, excited to go inside.

"Onna, are you not afraid?" he asked.

"Nope! I know it's all fake! Besides, the suspense is the best part! It's fun!" Orihime answered.

"Alright, let's go." Mizuiro said, leading the way. Keigo followed, completely terrified of what was to come.

Entering the building, nothing could be seen. It reminded Orihime of her first couple of dreams with Lyon and Mia. The group then saw light as they approached a room. Opening the door, Mizuiro cautiously entered. When everyone was inside, the door quickly shut behind them. Suddenly, a masked figure jumped in front of them with a plastic sword. Rukia, Chizuru, Mizuiro, and Keigo let out a startled scream while Ichigo, Grimmjow, Ulquiorra, Tatsuki, Sado, and Uryu stood bored. Orihime gasped when the figure first appeared, but her shock immediately turned to bubbly giggles.

"Let's go!" she shouted over her friend's terror-filled shrieks.

Mizuiro once again led the way to another room. This room was different than the last room, for it was well lit and the walls were painted white instead of black. Just like the last room, the door closed, leaving the group of 11 to wonder what was going to jump out at them. Then, fake blood oozed from the top of the white walls, freaking everybody out. Suddenly, the floor broke in front of them as another figure jumped through. This man wore an all black outfit and held a chainsaw in his hand, once again causing a few members in the group to scream.

Orihime laughed and said, "To the next room!"

The girl ran in front, deciding that she wanted to lead the group now. Being a few feet in front of everybody else, she noticed the room before them. Walking towards it, she eagerly entered the room.

"Inoue, wait for us." Ichigo said.

"Yes!" she replied, waiting a few feet into the room. Suddenly, the door closed, leaving Orihime alone while her friends were outside of the room.

"Inoue!"

The group hurried towards the door and tried to open it, but found that it had been locked. Worry instantly flooded Ulquiorra's mind as he was about to break down the door. He was tempted to pull Murcielago just to get the job done quicker. Just then, they heard a piercing shriek from their dear friend. This made Ulquiorra lose his patience as he kicked the door down. The group rushed inside, shocked at what they saw before them. On the floor lay a bloody Orihime. Blood seeped through her green parrot costume.

"Orihime!" Tatsuki cried out, rushing towards her friend.

Ulquiorra stood in shock and anger. The group could feel his spiritual pressure drastically rising.

"Hey, Ulquiorra, calm down! Soul Society will get angry!" Ichigo demanded, grabbing his shoulders.

The green eyed man quickly retaliated and threw the boy across the room.

"U-Ulquiorra! What are you doing!?" he heard a familiar voice ask.

The espada looked down to see Orihime sitting up straight, worried about her friend. She quickly got up and ran towards Ichigo.

"Soten Kisshun," she said as she placed her arms in front of her to heal the slightly bleeding Ichigo.

"Onna, I thought you were injured." Ulquiorra stated, utterly confused.

"It was a joke, Ulquiorra! Tatsuki, Grimmjow, and I planned it! It's fake blood!"

Ulquiorra sent a deadly glare towards Tatsuki and Grimmjow. "I'm going home."

The espada flashed home, leaving the group of now ten in shock of the scene that had just happened.

**Author's Note: Oh snap! Omg, idk if any of you watch teen wolf, but a stydia episode is coming out tonight and I'm so excited. Anyways, I think I will make a new Ulquihime story! :D Be ready! See you next time! **


	44. Chapter 44: First Fight

**Author's Note: Oh my god my stomach is killing me. :( Sorry if there are any errors, I'm in too much pain to check!**

Chapter 44: First Fight

It had been almost a week since the incident at the haunted house. Since then, Orihime and Ulquiorra have not said a word to each other, both waiting for an apology. Orihime had been upset with Ulquiorra for hurting Ichigo for something that wasn't his fault, while Ulquiorra had been mad at Orihime for making him worry so much, and to be honest, running to Ichigo and taking his side.

Orihime slipped on her shoes and left the house, not bothering to tell Ulquiorra that she was leaving or to wait for him. The two hadn't even walked to school together, but the espada had always walked a few feet behind her just in case somebody tried to hurt her. The girl was well aware of him following her and couldn't help but feel annoyed. She felt that he was underestimating her abilities like her friends had always done.

Entering the classroom, Orihime grumpily sat in her seat, causing everybody to talk in hushed whispers. Even the whole school had heard that they were mad at each other. People were asking each other if they had broken up ever since they came back to school. Ichigo and the others wondered if their relationship was over as well.

"Hey, Orihime…" Tatsuki greeted as she stood next to the grumpy girl.

"Good morning, Tatsuki!" Orihime replied as she gently smiled at her.

"So, uhh… are you and Schiffer-"

"You should go to your seat now, Tatsuki. The teacher might yell at you."

"Oh, umm, okay."

Ulquiorra then walked into the room and took his seat by the orange haired girl. He was aware that he usually does everything the girl wanted, but not this time. This time, he refused to apologize and back down. He did not care if he was being stubborn. Ulquiorra hadn't even glanced at her at all- except for when he would walk behind her to school. But once he heard a male approach Orihime, he couldn't stop himself from averting his gaze to her. A classmate of theirs- a dark haired boy who happened to be very attractive- named Tsukiro stood by the beautiful girl.

"Hello, Orihime-chan," he greeted with a smile, which made Ulquiorra boil inside.

"Good morning, Tsukiro-kun!" Orihime replied with a bright grin, upsetting Ulquiorra even more.

"I was wondering, do you have any plans this weekend?"

"Yes, she does." Ulquiorra suddenly answered. He could feel Orihime staring at him with wide eyes and irritation. "She wishes not to interact with you."

"Yes I do." Orihime said. "Tsukiro-kun, I would love to hang out with you. When do you want to hang out and where?"

Tsukiro smirked and answered, "I'll pick you up tomorrow night at seven. We could go see a movie and then get some dinner. Don't worry about paying, I got it."

"Sounds like a plan!"

"Alright, see you then."

Tsukiro walked to his seat, receiving high-fives from his friends. Ulquiorra was tense in his seat and Orihime simply turned to face forward once more, not even glancing at the frustrated man beside her. Ichigo and the others stared at the two anxiously and curiously, hoping they wouldn't cause anymore scenes.

Finally, Ulquiorra spoke. "What do you think you are doing?"

Orihime looked at him and shrugged. "Sitting and waiting for the teacher to come."

"I obviously meant about the date you are going on."

"Oh, that."

"Answer me, onna."

"I don't have to if I don't want to, poopy-head."

"Onna, I forbid you to go on this date."

"All the more reason to go."

Ulquiorra's eyes dangerously narrowed at her. "Onna, if you go on that date-"

"What, are you going to throw me against a wall like you did with Ichigo?"

"I am not going to apologize for what I did that night."

"And I'm not going to be home at seven because I have a date."

The class was startled when they heard a sudden crack. Turning towards the direction of the noise, the saw Ulquiorra holding part of his desk. He had broken his desk in anger of hearing those words. Standing up, he left the room, leaving everybody quiet and shocked.

* * *

"What do you think is going to happen between Inoue and Schiffer?" Rukia asked at lunch.

"I don't know, but I hope they figure it out soon before they cause another scene." Ichigo answered. "I don't want Inoue going on a date with Tsukiro, we all know that he is just some perverted freak like my dad. Hell, I'm surprised I'm actually saying this, but I prefer her with Ulquiorra than him."

"Same here." Uryu said.

"I would hate to see their relationship end, to be honest." Rukia said.

* * *

After school, Orihime walked home while Ulquiorra once again followed her. Once she entered the apartment, she instantly went to her room and rummaged through her closet to find the perfect outfit for her date. Ulquiorra silently watched her choose from dresses in anger. He then went back to the living room to sulk on the couch.

Soon, it was 6:50 and Orihime came downstairs to wait for her date to arrive. She wore a pink, tube dress that went down to her knees and flared at the bottom. Her hair was curled and she wore the tiniest bit of makeup. She looked breathtaking. The orange haired girl heard Ulquiorra grumpily mutter something beneath his breath as he came to stand in front of her.

"Onna, I thought that the point of being in a _relationship_ was so that the two would remain faithful," he said. "That means you aren't allowed to go on any dates."

"Are we even in a relationship? It's been a week since we have said a word to each other, and when we finally did, we were fighting." Orihime replied.

"If you would just apologize, this whole idiotic situation would be forgotten."

"I'm not apologizing; you hurt my friend."

"I was terrified."

"Of what?"

"I thought you were dead."

"…I didn't mean for you to get so upset."

"I know. I apologize for throwing that idiotic shinigami at a wall and injuring him."

"…I'm sorry for scaring you… and for agreeing to go on a date."

Ulquiorra neared the girl, almost completely getting rid of the gap between them. He moved a few strands of her beautiful hair out of her face, causing her to meet his eyes, and said, "You look absolutely magnificent. I cannot allow that trash to let his eyes admire your beauty." He then pressed his lips on hers, causing the girl's heart to soar and cheeks to redden. Her knees felt like they were about to give up on her. Orihime then wrapped her arms around him and deepened the kiss.

"I love you, Ulquiorra," she said as she withdrew from the kiss.

"I love you as well, onna," the espada replied, about to go in for another kiss until they heard a knock on their door. "Dammit. Go to your room; I meant it when I said he cannot admire your beauty."

Orihime giggled and said, "No, Ulquiorra, I have to tell him myself I can't go."

"Fine."

Orihime walked to the door and opened it, revealing a dressed up Tsukiro. He grinned when he saw her.

"Ready to go?" the dark haired boy asked.

"Umm, about that. I can't go Tsukiro-kun."

"Is it the boyfriend?"

"I just can't, I'm sorry."

"Where is he?"

"Right here, trash." Ulquiorra answered, walking towards the two. "Leave, now."

"You are going to regret taking my date away."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

Tsukiro then swung at Ulquiorra, who simply grabbed his fist and threw him down to the ground.

"And you are going to regret trying to take my onna out on a date."

Tsukiro spat out blood and charged at the espada once again. He kept swinging at the green eyed man, but found that his punches were being easily dodged. Suddenly, Ulquiorra swung back, causing Tsukiro to fly back.

"Ulquiorra, stop!" Orihime cried out as she grabbed his arm. "It's okay!"

Tsukiro stood and wiped the blood from his mouth. "Forget it, I don't feel like kicking your ass right now anyways." The boy then limped away, leaving Ulquiorra to smirk and Orihime to giggle.

"Are you okay, Ulquiorra?" she asked.

"Of course I am, onna. Do not underestimate me. I've realized that I have fought many idiotic males for you."

"Yeah, yeah, come inside."

The man did as he was told and the two snuggled up on the couch. They fell asleep that night on the couch, Ulquiorra holding her close. He vowed never to fight with Orihime again.

**Author's Note: **Orihime stopped running, looked at him, and answered, "it's Thanksgiving, Ulquiorra, so I'm pretending to be a turkey!"


	45. Chapter 45: Thanksgiving

**Author's Note: I'm sorry if there are mistakes but I don't really have time to check! Sorry!**

Chapter 45: Thanksgiving

Ulquiorra thought he had gotten used to Orihime's strange antics, but that day, he realized he was far from it. The orange haired beauty was running around the small house making gobble noises and moving her arms as if she was a chicken. It was bad enough that he had to be woken up from the strange noises, but she had been at it for about half an hour now.

Finally, the hollow decided to ask, "Onna, what are you doing?"

Orihime stopped running, looked at him, and answered, "It's Thanksgiving, Ulquiorra, so I'm pretending to be a turkey!"

"That is ridiculous. What is Thanksgiving?"

"It's a holiday to give thanks for what you are blessed with!"

"What a foolish occasion."

"It's not foolish, it's being grateful! Now help me make the Thanksgiving Dinner!"

"Thanksgiving Dinner?"

"Yeah! Families always have big feasts on this day, and I haven't been able to have one in a while since Sora died, so now we are having one!"

"…Alright."

The two walked into the kitchen- or at least Ulquiorra walked while Orihime _flapped- _and cleaned the countertops for an area to cook. Orihime then brought out several ingredients, including a huge, uncooked turkey. Ulquiorra stared at the dead bird in disgust.

Orihime smiled and stated, "I already took all the yucky stuff out of Mr. Turkey, so now we just have to stuff him!"

"Stuff him? With what?" the disgusted espada asked.

"Anything! Let's start out with something simple: macaroni and cheese!"

"Alright."

Ulquiorra watched the orange haired girl grab a huge spoon and scoop up some of the macaroni and cheese. He then watched her stuff it into the dead bird. Pulling the spoon back out, Orihime smiled and grabbed a jar of peanut butter and another jar of jelly.

"Time for the peanut butter and jelly!" the excited girl exclaimed.

"Onna, this is turning into a deadly concoction," the green eyed man stated.

Orihime stuck her tongue out at the boy and continued to stuff the turkey with strange ingredients. After a half hour of filling the turkey with the ingredients, she finally placed the dead bird into the oven. She then grabbed Ulquiorra's hand and dragged him into the living room.

"Onna, what are we doing now?" he asked.

"Time for the arts and crafts!" she answered, her smile wide.

"You humans do arts and crafts on this day as well?"

"Well, Sora and I did!"

"Fine."

Orihime then got out construction paper, glue, googly eyes, and scissors. The girl placed them on the table and smiled with joy.

"Alright, we are going to take the construction paper and the scissors to cut out a turkey!" the orange haired beauty instructed.

She got her brown construction paper and began cutting out the shape of a turkey. Ulquiorra watched her create a turkey and he began to make his own. Orihime had noticed within the first week of them living together that he was indeed a perfectionist, so it didn't surprise her that he took almost 45 minutes just to cut out the shape of a turkey. The espada then looked at Orihime's craft to see what was next. He saw her cutting out a black hat out of the construction paper. He did the same, only taking 15 minutes this time. Next up: the googly eyes. This was Orihime's favorite part. She took the glue and placed two drops onto her craft. Picking up the googly eyes, she placed two onto the glue and waited for them to dry. Ulquiorra obediently followed what she had done and the two waited for the glue to dry.

"Wow, Ulquiorra, your turkey looks great!" the girl exclaimed.

Ulquiorra simply nodded at the girl. The two then heard a knock at their door.

"Coming!" Orihime called out. She opened the door to see two little kids: Akiru and Kazuki. "Akiru-chan! Kazuki-kun! I haven't seen you two in a while! How are you?"

"Hello, nee-san! We are doing great! Oba-san is making the turkey right now, so we decided to give you and Ulquiorra this!" Akiru said, handing the girl a card.

"You two are so sweet! I'm going to hang this on the fridge! Ulquiorra, come say hello!"

The espada did as he was told and came to the door. "Hello."

"It sucks that you have to spend Thanksgiving with this guy, nee-san." Kazuki said, crossing his arms.

Orihime giggled and said, "Nope! This is the most fun Thanksgiving I've had in such a long time!"

Ulquiorra smirked while Kazuki hissed.

"Well, we better get back to Oba-san. See you later, nee-san! You too, Ulquiorra!" Akiru said, pulling her twin brother along.

Once they left, Orihime closed the door and announced, "They remind me of Mia and Lyon!"

Ulquiorra cringed when he heard Lyon's name, but simply replied, "I see."

Soon, the turkey was done and Orihime ran into the kitchen to get it out. She pulled the bird out of the oven and placed it onto the table, surrounded by servings of mashed potatoes, corn, cranberry sauce, and ham. The girl then cut some turkey out for the two of them and waited for Ulquiorra to taste it. She watched him with curiosity and hope. The hollow hesitantly took a bite out of the turkey and nearly fainted. It tasted terrible, as to be expected, but he kept his stoic face. He didn't want Orihime to know that it tasted bad.

"H-How is it?" she asked.

"It is fine," he lied.

Orihime grinned and said, "Thank goodness!" She then started to stuff her mouth with her own concoction. Ulquiorra wondered how she could enjoy this meal.

Eventually, it was time to go to bed and Orihime sat down beside Ulquiorra on the couch. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Ulquiorra," she said.

"Happy Thanksgiving, onna," he replied.

"Is there anything you are thankful for?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"You."

Orihime smiled gently and tightened their embrace. "I am thankful for you too, Ulquiorra. Goodnight."

"I thought I told you that you are not allowed to sleep alone anymore after the war."

"Ulquiorra, it's fine now!"

"No."

"I can take care of myself!"

"I am aware of that, but I am not taking any chances."

The girl sighed, realizing that she wasn't going to win this argument. "A-Alright, fine."

"That's better."

The two then went upstairs and got into bed, Orihime blushing of course.

"I love you, Ulquiorra."

"I love you too, onna."


	46. Chapter 46: New Student

**Author's Note: Man, I am having trouble actually making a new story! D: I'm sure it'll happen eventually though! Anyways, enjoy!**

Chapter 46: New Student

"Hey look, the two lovers made up!" Keigo announced.

Orihime, Ulquiorra, Ichigo, Rukia, Uryu, Sado, Chizuru, Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro were all sitting on the room during lunch as usual.

Orihime giggled and said, "Yep!"

"Wait, Kuchiki, can you explain that whole war thing again?" Tatsuki asked. "And why are we always the last to know?"

"I think Inoue should be the one to explain it." Rukia answered.

The karate master glanced at the orange haired girl for answers. Orihime simply sighed and prepared to tell her friend the story- including the part where she was kidnapped.

"Well, Tatsuki," she began, "you already know about the dreams with Ulquiorra and how he was mysteriously brought back to life. Well, a while ago when I passed out for two days, it was because Mia and Lyon- they are my friends- were controlling my dream and they told me that Ulquiorra was brought back to life by their leader Yamato. Basically, I had to pretend to be on their side or else they would've killed Ulquiorra. That time when you were kidnapped wasn't by a bunch of jealous girls, it was by them."

Tatsuki gaped at her best friend. "You were friends with them?"

"Yeah, they aren't that bad! Only the leader and Miketsukami."

"Miketsukami?"

"He was some teen that tried to kill us."

"I see. Well what happened to everyone in that group?"

"I don't really know… Mia and Lyon said that they had to leave, so they went off somewhere. Yamato and Miketsukami died. Chiharu also went off somewhere. I don't know what happened to everyone else. I hope they are doing alright."

"It is none of your concern, onna." Ulquiorra said.

"I know, but I feel like they were a family to me- besides Yamato and Miketsukami."

"You shouldn't worry about them, Inoue." Ichigo said. "You have us. Besides, they tried to kill everyone, don't you think it's best they left?"

The bell then rang, signaling that lunch was over. The ten of them made their way back to the classroom, finding that everybody was gossiping about something seemingly important.

On her way to her seat, Orihime heard a girl announce, "There's a new student here!" The orange haired girl sat down in her seat and stared out the window. Orihime never really paid attention to the gossip when it came to new students; mainly because it was all just rumors about them.

"Alright students," their teacher began, "sit down in your seats. As you've all heard, we have a new student joining us today. Please give her a warm welcome. Hey, come introduce yourself." Orihime heard footsteps as the new student entered the classroom while she stared out of the window.

"Hey," a very familiar female voice said. The orange haired girl's eyes widened as she turned her head to face the front of the class towards the new student. Just as she expected, she saw a girl with blonde pigtails. It was none other than Yui. "My name's Yui."

"Y-Yui-san!?" Orihime cried out while suddenly standing up from her seat. Ichigo, Rukia, Ulquiorra, Uryu, and Sado's eyes were wide as they stared at the blonde girl.

"Inoue-san, you know her?" the teacher asked.

"Y-Yeah, she uhh-"

"We are acquaintances." Yui interrupted.

"Oh. Well go take your seat. You'll be sitting over there."

Yui walked to her seat, not even glancing at the group of people staring at her. Orihime found herself unable to pay attention to the rest of the lesson and continued to stare at her and her group did the same.

* * *

Eventually the school day ended and everybody fled the school to return to their homes.

"Yui-san! Wait up!" Orihime shouted while running to catch up, also being followed by Ulquiorra and the others.

"No," the blonde girl replied.

"S-Stop! You know we are going to have to talk about this!"

"What is there to talk about? I'm going to your school, that's that."

"Y-Yeah, but why?"

Yui stopped running and turned to face the girl that was quickly catching up to her. "Because unlike everybody else, I haven't died yet. It's been decided that I should continue getting an education so that we don't have to keep stealing to pay the bills."

"Pay the bills? Does that mean you bought a house? And with who?"

"Yes, we bought a house. In total, there are five of us in the house: me, Ritsu, Naoki, Daisuke, and Chiharu." Orihime's smile slightly faltered. "Not that I really care or anything, but what's wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, well, it's just that Mia-san and Lyon-kun aren't with you… I hope they are doing alright…"

"I'm sure those two are alright. As long as they've got each other, then they are happy."

Orihime smiled gently and said, "I hope so. So, can I see everybody?"

"No," Yui answered, walking away.

"Why not?"

"Because I said so."

"Onna, enough of this. Let's go home." Ulquiorra said.

Orihime sighed. "Alright, fine. Goodnight, Yui-san!"

"Whatever," the blonde mumbled. "By the way, Orihime, I'd prefer it if you didn't talk to me from now on."

* * *

"Onna, there is no need to be fussing over this." Ulquiorra said.

The two were sitting at the dinner table, eating dinner while Orihime rambled on about Yui. She talked about how strange it was that she was now going to go to their school, how sad she was because she wants to see everybody, and how upset she is because Yui still hadn't forgiven her.

"But I want to see them! I want to know what happened to them! Maybe one of them knows something about Mia-san and Lyon-kun! And I want Yui-san to like me! Ugh!"

"Enough of this; go to bed."

"I have to become closer to Yui-san!"

"Stop with your useless chatter. It is time for bed."

"Fine."

As the girl lay in bed- finally without Ulquiorra, for she managed to convince him that she is fine and doesn't need him sleeping with her- she thought about what would happen with Yui in her school. She thought of how nice it would be for them to finally be friends. She also thought of how bad it would be to have her as an enemy- again. Hoping it would turn out as the first option, the girl fell asleep, wondering what the twins were up to.

**Author's Note: **Orihime scurried out of the bush and hurriedly approached the door. It then swung open, revealing Chiharu. The girl had stopped wearing her hood and let her beautiful golden hair flow behind her. **Orihime always gets what she wants, so she will be seeing them again! See you next time! :D**


	47. Chapter 47: Hey, Princess

**Author's Note: I broke my laptop and I am temporarily using my dad's old laptop! I had to write this chapter from memory! I lost every single chapter that I've written, so it might be a while until the next update because I have to type them up again. :( Sorry.**

Chapter 47: Hey, Princess

"Can you hurry your slow ass up? You're wasting our time."

"Shut up. I'm telling you, this is a bad idea. We should just wait for it to become night."

"You know that we aren't strong enough yet. Our powers haven't matured to that level. We have to be somewhat close to her."

"We haven't even tried it yet!"

"Yeah, yeah, look, I am the smart one. You are the dumb one. You listen to what I say."

"Just because you are older than me by 15 minutes-"

"18 minutes."

"Fine, just because you are older than me by _18 minutes _doesn't mean you can boss me around like this."

"Look, she managed to increase her powers and contact me. She told me that Yui is going back to school, _her_ school."

"Why does it matter?"

"Everyone knows Yui isn't a big fan of her."

"She can handle herself."

"I know that, idiot. Look, the real reason is that I miss her, okay?"

"I can't see her yet."

"You still aren't over her?"

"How can I get over her when there's nobody as nice and beautiful as her?"

"Ouch."

"Fine, except for you."

"I was just kidding."

"So was I."

"I'm sorry you are love struck, but I cannot be pent up inside a small apartment with you and have nobody else to talk to."

"I get it-"

"No, you don't. If you did, you would be walking faster and not complaining. So can we just hurry this up? It'll just be a week!"

"That's only if she wants to come with us."

"I'm sure she will."

* * *

"Yui-san!"

The blonde haired girl turned around with clear irritation to see Orihime. "I thought I told you not to talk to me."

"I know, but I really want to see everybody!" the orange haired girl exclaimed. "Please let me see them?"

"I already told you no."

Orihime ran in front of the girl and pushed out her bottom lips. It reminded Yui of her little sister. "Please, Yui-san?"

"Why can't you just get the hint that I don't want you in my house?"

Yui pushed past Orihime, only to have her arm gently grabbed.

"Eventually, I'll get you to like me. I'll also get you to let me go home with you and see everybody else. You can't just show up at my school and expect me not to want to talk to you and everyone else. During this whole week, you haven't said a word to anybody else, not even the teacher. You refuse to let people in, but I'm going to change that eventually. I'm going to be your friend, just wait and see."

Yui stood with a slight smile, though nobody could see it. She then wiggled her arm out of the orange haired girl's grasp and said, "Not even in your dreams."

Ulquiorra walked to his girlfriend and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It is alright, onna. Let's just go home."

"I uhh, have plans to hang out with Tatsuki today! I'll see you later!"

"You are going to follow her, aren't you?"

"…Yeah."

"Have fun."

The couple kissed and the orange haired girl stormed out of the room to follow Yui to her house.

"You just let her do whatever she wants, don't you?" Ichigo asked, walking up to Ulquiorra.

The black haired man sighed and answered, "There is no point in arguing, she does what she wants. Besides, you do the same with the female shinigami."

Rukia smirked and the three left the classroom.

* * *

Orihime ran fast to catch up to the girl with pigtails. She also managed to keep herself hidden behind benches, poles, and anything else to cover her. It reminded the girl of the time she followed Naoki back to their hide out. Following Yui back to her house, she saw the girl suddenly stop and she did the same. She could barely hear the blonde girl mumble to herself, "Looks like they are back."

"_Who is she talking about?" _Orihime thought to herself.

Yui then continued her journey home, unaware of the fact that she was being followed. Approaching a small, white house with a white fence around it, she opened the door and entered.

"_So that's where everybody is!" Orihime thought, smiling to herself. "They bought a cute little house!"_

_ "O-Orihime? Is that you?" _a familiar voice said.

"_Chiharu-san?"_

_ "Yeah, why can I hear your thoughts so clearly? You must be near. Usually I can hear them but they are so quiet, sometimes they are almost like whispers. Where are you?"_

_ "I uhh…"_

_ "Let me guess, outside of our house?"_

_ "How did you know?"_

_ "I'm looking out the window right now and can see you crouching in our neighbors bush."_

_ "Oh…"_

_ "So you followed that idiot, Yui?"_

_ "Yeah."_

_ "Well come on in!"_

Orihime scurried out of the bush and hurriedly approached the door. It then swung open, revealing Chiharu. The girl had stopped wearing her hood and let her beautiful golden hair flow behind her.

Chiharu smiled and greeted, "Hey, Orihime. It's been a while."

Orihime bowed and replied, "You are right! It's been too long!"

"Did you just say 'Orihime'?" Yui asked, walking up to them. Noticing Orihime, she sighed and said, "It's like I need a restraining order."

The two girls giggled while Yui led them to the living room. Ritsu and Daisuke sat on the floor playing video games while Naoki sat at the kitchen table reading the newspaper. When the two kids finally noticed their visitor, they abandoned their game and instantly grinned and ran to give the girl a hug. Hearing the commotion, Naoki looked towards them and saw the orange haired beauty for himself.

"Oh, hey, it's Orihime!" he said, getting up to greet her.

"Hello, Naoki-kun!" the girl kindly greeted.

Eventually, Orihime found herself forced into playing video games with the two kids. She couldn't say she minded since it was fun shooting the little spacecrafts. The content girl then glanced to her left to find Yui and Chiharu having a seemingly important conversation about something. Though she was more than curious to find out what they were talking about, she decided not to pester them about it.

"So you knew this whole time they were coming back and decided not to tell us?" Yui asked in a hushed whisper.

"Yeah, I didn't think it would matter." Chiharu answered in a just as quiet tone.

"Of course it matters! They are like family to us, we need to know these things if you are going to be living with us! Why do you think they are coming back?"

"Why do you think?"

The two girls then looked at Orihime while she was playing video games. "For her?"

"Duh."

* * *

"Stop dragging your feet and hurry up!"

"We've been walking all day! Why couldn't we just take the bus or something?"

"Because somebody could've seen us and recognized us you idiot!"

"Somebody could see us walking now and recognize us!"

"Oh my god, just hurry your ass up!"

"My feet hurt! Can't we just take a break?"

"You're more of a girl than I am."

"Shut up."

* * *

The sky was a beautiful canvas of shades of pink, orange, blue, and purple. Orihime stared up at the sky in amazement. The girl then waved goodbye to her friends and they did the same- except for Yui, who simply stood there with her arms crossed- and began her walk home.

"_Hey, Orihime." _Chiharu said in the girl's mind.

"_Yeah, Chiharu?"_

_ "Say hi to them for me when you see them. Tell them I miss their endless arguing."_

_ "Say hi to whom?"_

_ "You'll see."_

Orihime continued her walk home confused. "_Who could she be talking about?" _She then began to skip and twirl while humming a beautiful melody. "_I'm glad everybody turned out okay! They even bought a house! An actual house! Sure, they had to steal money to get it, but it's still fantastic! I wish I could buy a house with Ulquiorra." _Orihime then stopped in her tracks. "_Whoa! Did I just think about buying a house with Ulquiorra!? That's like getting married!"_ The girl then thought about what life would be like if she were married to Ulquiorra. She would get a poofy, white gown that fell to her ankles, her hair would be curled, her friends would be there supporting her, there would be a huge cake, and best of all: she would see Ulquiorra waiting for her at the end of the aisle. They would share a passionate kiss after saying "I do" and everybody would clap and smile for them. It would be perfect.

Orihime then snapped out of her trance and found that she had already approached her apartment. She giggled and shook her head. The orange haired girl then opened the door, only to see Ulquiorra conversing with two other people. Entering the house, she finally saw who her boyfriend was talking to and dropped her school bag. Her eyes instantly watered and her face was lit with a beautiful grin. "Mia-san! Lyon-kun!"

"Hey, princess. It's been a while."

**Author's Note: I'm really mad about losing all of the chapters! :( Well, I'll see you guys next time!**


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